Global Covid-19 Aid from 14 Countries Reach Indian Hospitals, Boost Fight Against Catastrophic Second Wave
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New Delhi: Global aid has now started reaching Indian hospitals, helping in the fight against a devastating second wave of coronavirus. According to an exclusive report by the Indian Express, white House’s Covid-19 testing kits are in New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, an Italian oxygen plant is in the ITBP hospital in Greater Noida, a French oxygen plant is at Indraprastha Apollo hospital in New Delhi and Irish oxygen concentrators are in PGI, Chandigarh. Help from 14 countries has reached India. Union Health Ministry has said 1,764 oxygen concentrators, 1,760 oxygen cylinders, seven oxygen generation plants, 450 ventilators, and over 1.35 lakh Remdesivir vials have been received as aid from abroad between April 27 and May 4 in 38 medical institutions across 31 states and union territories. India has been receiving medical supplies and equipment for COVID-19 relief since April 27 from different countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, Russia, the UAE, the USA, Taiwan, Kuwait, France, Thailand, Germany, Uzbekistan, Belgium and Italy. All items received up to May 4 are allocated to states and institutions, and a substantial part of it stands delivered. This is an ongoing exercise," the health ministry said in its statement. A streamlined and systematic mechanism for allocation of the support supplies received by India has been put into place by the Central government fr effective distribution of medical and other relief and support material, it said. The supplies have reached 38 tertiary care institutions across 31 states and union territories in the first tranche between April 27 and May 4. A standard operating procedure for this purpose has been framed and implemented by the Health Ministry since May 2. A dedicated coordination cell has been created in the Health Ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign COVID relief material as grants, aid and donations. About the distribution of the COVID relief material, the ministry said, “This is done considering certain criteria like the number of active cases, case fatality rate, positivity rate and need among others."