World pitches in amid India’s second wave
China ready to provide assistance as deadly virus surge sparks worst fears
The international community has stepped in to send urgently needed medical aid to India, where a deadly second wave of COVID-19 is overwhelming hospitals.
Amid growing demand for oxygen in the country, India has reached out to various countries to procure containers and oxygen cylinders.
On April 26, the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka said that 800 oxygen concentrators had been airlifted from Hong Kong to Delhi, and 10,000 more will be provided in a week. “China is keeping in touch with India for urgent needs. Stay strong,” it said.
The Chinese embassy in India said the Chinese government and people firmly support the Indian government and people amid the pandemic.
“We will encourage and guide Chinese companies to actively cooperate with India to facilitate acquiring medical supplies, and provide support and help according to India’s need,” said Counselor Wang Xiaojian, an embassy spokesman.
“China is ready to provide support and assistance to the Indian people at any time according to the needs of India,” Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on April 27 at a virtual regional meeting.
The European Commission said it planned to send oxygen and medicine. EC President Ursula von der Leyen said the organization was “pooling resources to respond rapidly to India’s request for assistance”.
Indian Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos on April 27 of the “first shipment “of medical aid India received from Britain. It included 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators.
Saudi Arabia is shipping 80 metric tons of liquid oxygen, according to Indian newspaper The Hindu.
Pakistan — which has tense relations with its neighbor amid territorial disputes — offered medical equipment and supplies, and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted prayers for a “speedy recovery”. The country’s Edhi foundation has offered to send 50 ambulances to India.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on April 25 told his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in a phone call that “the United States is working around the clock” to deploy resources and supplies. The US has been criticized for imposing a ban on these exports.
On April 24, the Indian Air Force brought four cryogenic tanks for storage of liquid oxygen from Singapore. The Indian government has also approved plans for more than 500 oxygen generation plants across the country to boost supplies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
April 28, said Russia will operate flights to deliver more than 22 tons of supplies to India, including 20 oxygen producers, 75 ventilators, 150 medical monitors and 200,000 packages of medicines.
Other countries rushing in support include New Zealand, France, Germany, Ireland, and the UAE.
In the highest single-day spike, India reported on April 28 that there had been 360,960 new COVID-19 cases recorded over the previous 24 hours. India has a tally of around 18 million infections and more than 201,000 deaths.
Prime Minister Modi had referred to the situation as a toofan, or storm, in a radio address on April 25. He said the second wave has “shaken the country”.
Cities have ordered curfews, while police have been deployed to enforce social distancing and mask wearing.
Experts said a combination of factors
was responsible: India’s complacency after the first wave, the mass gatherings of people at political rallies and religious events, and the rise of mutant strains.
Modi is facing a growing backlash as the crisis spirals, and his decision to address tens of thousands of people at state election rallies is under fire. He is also facing blame for letting Hindu devotees congregate for the Kumbh Mela festival.
Zhang Wenhong, a Chinese infectious disease specialist, warned of a larger outbreak in the near future in India. He wrote in a blog that it is too late, even if India carries out mass vaccinations immediately.
The United Nations is helping India in its battle against COVID-19, a UN spokesman said on April 28. A day earlier, the president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, called for international aid to India in its fight against
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN team in India, led by Resident Coordinator Renata LokDessallien, is supporting the authorities’ response to the pandemic by providing equipment and supplies, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund are procuring equipment and supplies, including 7,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 nasal devices, as well as oxygen-generating plants, COVID-19 testing machines, and personal protective kits, he said.
The WHO is also helping to set up mobile hospital units. Some 2,600 WHO field officers have been immediately deployed to support health authorities.