O2, medical aid from abroad to ease the crisis, says Centre
India to get 550 O2 plants, anti-viral drugs from abroad
Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday shared details of the amount of oxygen, medical equipment and drugs that India will be receiving from foreign countries to manage the second Covid wave that has left thousands dead and lakhs infected. Describing the medical crisis as “unprecedented and exceptional”, he said that India is acquiring a total of 550 oxygen-generating plants, over 4,000 oxygen concentrators,
◗ THE US will supply 28 million litres of oxygen
◗ TWO FLIGHTS from Russia carry a total of 20 oxygen generating plants and the antiCovid drug Favipiravir
10,000 oxygen cylinders, 17 cryogenic tankers to store oxygen and lakhs of doses of anti-viral drugs Remdesivir and Favipiravir from abroad.
The United States will also be supplying 28 million litres of oxygen to India.
Mr Shringla said that the current over three million active cases of Covid have “put considerable pressure on the health care system,” and added that India is producing about 67,000 doses of Remdesivir daily while the requirement now is between two-three lakh doses daily. He also said that India’s vaccine producing capabilities are being ramped up as India’s domestic requirements are now “significant and pressing”. The vaccines that are being acquired from abroad would be utilised for domestic needs, he said.
The statement is an
indication that in the immediate future at least, India will not be able to export vaccines in the significant way in which it had been doing in the past few months since the priority is to vaccinate the country’s huge 1.2 billion population as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Russia dispatched two special flights on Wednesday night carrying equipment and medicines while the US will operate three special flights — two on Friday and the third on Monday carrying urgently-needed supplies for India. The three special flights from the US will supply a total of 28 million litres of oxygen, 2,000 Oxygen concentrators, hundreds of oxygen cylinders and 17 oxygen generation plants. The two flights from Russia carried a total of 20 oxygen generating plants and the anti-Covid drug Favipiravir. Japan too is expected to soon begin the supply of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other pharmaceutical products to India. Oxygen concentrators are also being sourced by Indian companies from China.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar also addressed Indian diplomats abroad and briefed them on their role in the current scenario.
The foreign secretary said that apart from the 4.5 lakh doses of the patented Remdesivir that its manufacturing firm Gilead has given India free of cost, New Delhi is also trying to acquire another four lakh doses from the authorised manufacturers of the anti-viral drug in Egypt. Efforts are also on to procure it from other authorised manufacturers in the UAE, Uzbekistan, Israel and closer home in Bangladesh too. Efforts are also on to acquire three lakh doses of another anti-viral drug Favipiravir from Russia and other nations. In addition, yet another antiCovid drug Tocilizumab is being procured from Germany and Switzerland.
Regarding the travel restrictions that have been imposed by several countries Mr Shringla said these were temporary in nature but emphasised that air cargo connectivity must continue. In response to a question, he said an airline in China (carrying cargo to India) had cancelled the 10 daily flights it operated which had caused a significant impact.
Mr Shringla praised the ready support being extended by foreign nations, many of whom had noted how India too had extended support to them in their hour of need.