The first shipments of British medical aid, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, arrived in India on the morning of Tuesday April 27, the Indian Foreign Ministry said. His spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, tweeted photos of the material being unloaded from a Lufthansa flight in Delhi, hailing an example of ” international cooperation “.
International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from ?? including 100 ventilat… https://t.co/sGkcFpdJp4
Britain, one of many countries to announce aid as India’s healthcare system overwhelmed by exploding Covid-19 cases, deploys more than 600 units of medical equipment vital.
A total of 9 aerial containers loaded with supplies, including 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive respirators and 20 manual respirators, will be dispatched this week, according to the British High Commission in New Delhi.
French aid will arrive at the end of the week
For its part, France has specified the nature of its “Solidarity operation” which is due to arrive in India by the end of the week. It will be 8 medical oxygen production units per generator, liquefied oxygen containers – 5 will be transported initially -, making it possible to supply medical oxygen to up to 10,000 patients over a day, as well. that specialized medical equipment including 28 respirators, said the French Embassy.
The United States, following a telephone exchange Monday between its president, Joe Biden, and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, pledged emergency aid including components for the production of vaccines, protective equipment, rapid diagnostic tests, or even respirators. Washington is also studying the possibility of sending in oxygen supplies.
The European Union has pledged to provide, through its European Civil Protection Mechanism, a “Assistance” to India. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced emergency aid.
For several days, the sudden rebound of the Covid-19 epidemic has exploded the country’s health system, which has failed to stem its infernal pace. In New Delhi, staff resort to mass cremations to cremate the bodies of victims, which pile up in saturated hospital morgues. Health facilities lack everything, intensive care beds, oxygen, drugs …
The country had wrongly claimed to have conquered the epidemic when, at the end of January, it had barely 9,000 daily infections. At the beginning of February, with the return of spring, there was an air of liberation and recklessness. It only took a few weeks between March and April for the country to be swept away by a real storm.