India stresses on boosting O2 supplies in talks with US
NEW DELHI : As US support for India’s response to a devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections began flowing in on Friday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar emphasised the need to strengthen oxygen supplies and expand vaccine production.
These issues figured in a phone conversation between Jaishankar and his American counterpart Antony Blinken. The two discussed India’s requirements to address the Covid-19 situation and reviewed the supply of equipment and materials by the US.
They spoke hours after the first of three special US flights carrying supplies, including hundreds of oxygen cylinders, landed in New Delhi on Friday morning. Two more emergency flights are expected by May 3 in line with US President Joe Biden’s pledge to help India counter a brutal second wave of infections.
“Our discussions focussed on Indian requirements to address the Covid challenge more effectively,” Jaishakar said in a tweet.
“Reviewed the flow of equipment and material from the US. Highlighted the importance of strengthening oxygen supply, expanding vaccine production and increasing Remdesivir supply. Appreciated the forthcoming response of the US in this regard,” he added.
The Indian government is focused on efforts to ramp up the production and delivery of oxygen to healthcare facilities across the country. A severe shortage of oxygen has been blamed for many deaths during the second wave.
Blinken reaffirmed the strength of the US-India partnership in the face of the pandemic and expressed his “appreciation for Indian assistance in America’s time of need”, state department spokesperson Ned Price said. Blinken also noted the outpouring of support from US industries, non-governmental institutions and private citizens for Covid-19 relief efforts in India.
“The secretary offered condolences and noted our concern for those who have lost friends and loved ones during this difficult period,” Price said.
The first tranche of US relief materials was ferried in a C-5M Super Galaxy, one of the largest strategic airlift aircraft, and the supplies sent from Travis Air Force Base included 423 oxygen cylinders and regulators donated by the state of California, and 960,000 rapid diagnostic tests and 100,000 N95 masks provided by USAID.
“A strategic partnership of global significance! Our healthcare partnership can help effectively tackle the global pandemic. Deeply appreciate gift of 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators and other medical supplies from the U.S.A.,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
The US military’s transportation command played a key role in arranging the flight. The second emergency relief shipment, being sent in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft, will include oxygen-related equipment, diagnostic kits, masks and pulse oximeters.
The initial emergency assistance from the US will include a total of 1,100 oxygen cylinders, 1,700 oxygen concentrators, multiple large-scale oxygen generation units to support up to 20 patients each and additional mobile units to target specific shortages. A team of US experts will support oxygen generation units by working on the ground alongside Indian personnel.
The support will also include raw materials for the Covishield vaccine that the US has re-directed from its own order of manufacturing supplies. These materials will allow India to make more than 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, the White House said.
Biden had pledged the support of the US during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
The US relief supplies began flowing in shortly after support packages from Russia and member states of the European Union (EU), part of a global effort to help India cope with recordbreaking infections that have surged past the 350,000-mark over the past several days.