Amidst the Covid Crisis, America has extended a helping hand to India. The White House informed on Wednesday that the US has decided to send supplies worth more than $100 million to India.
India will get these supplies on Thursday as per reports. Apart from this, the US has also announced help to India through AstraZeneca. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden had a conversation, on which Biden promised to help India.
However, issues were raised of obtaining AstraZeneca vaccines by India earlier as well as for the raw materials for production of vaccines in India with the US
India focused on acquiring oxygen-related equipment like oxygen generation plants, oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators which can be used to speed up the process of producing and distributing oxygen.
This help from America will start reaching India from today. This round will continue till next week.
In a statement issued by the White House, it has been told that this supply will include 1 thousand oxygen cylinders, 1.5 crore N95 masks and 10 million rapid diagnostic tests. Apart from this, the US has also decided to provide the order given to AstraZeneca to India.
Hospitals in several states and cities, which have been hard-hit by Covid-19, raised the issue of patient deaths due to shortage of oxygen. Other than the US, Germany, Australia and France will also send oxygen-related equipment to bolster India’s response to the second wave of Covid-19.
The first consignment of support from Russia is also expected to reach India on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the evolving situation of the pandemic and thanked Putin for extending its support in India’s fight against the second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Wednesday.
The White House has said that after getting the construction material from AstraZeneca, the country will be able to make 20 million doses. America said, ‘When our hospitals were in trouble at the beginning of the epidemic, just as India had sent help to America, similarly America is ready to help India in times of need.’ Biden also said in the past that America is standing with India.
India has not yet responded to offers of support made by China and Pakistan. Indian companies in China are purchasing supplies and equipment. India has not yet made an appeal for international aid. Indian missions in several countries have prepared a list of the necessary equipment required to fight Covid-19 and procedures to procure such equipment have been relaxed.
