Covid-19 US airlifts emergency supplies to help India fight Covid-19 second wave
Washington/IBNS: The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is mobilising assistance to help India tide over the second wave of Covid-19.
The US deployed the first of several emergency Covid-19 relief shipments to India.
Arriving in New Delhi from Travis Air Force Base on the world’s largest military aircraft, the shipment includes 440 oxygen cylinders and regulators, generously donated by the State of California.
In addition, on this first flight, USAID will send 960,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests to identify infections early to help prevent the community spread of Covid-19, and 100,000 N95 masks to protect India’s frontline healthcare heroes.
The announcement builds on USAID’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the pandemic in India. USAID has provided over $23 million in assistance since the start of the pandemic, directly reaching nearly 10 million Indians.
USAID is quickly procuring 1,000 medical oxygen concentrators that will be used in 320 primary health care facilities.
India, which is rattled by the second wave of the deadly virus, found its poor health infrastructure overwhelmed.
Over the last several days and even weeks, various hospitals including in the national capital Delhi refused Covid-19 patients from getting them admitted due to shortage of beds.
In an even more worrisome picture, several Covid-19 patients in various hospitals suffered due to shortage of Oxygen supply, and even died.
As per several media reports, the crematoriums are swamped by Covid-19 dead bodies with pyres burning round the clock.
In the biggest spike of daily cases,India recorded 3,79,257 positive cases on Thursday while 3,645 Covid-19 patients died in the last 24 hours.
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