India has cumulatively has received three lakh Remdesivir vials, 6,738 oxygen concentrators, 3,856 oxygen cylinders and 16 oxygen generation plants from the global community in the last 13 days, an official statement said on Sunday. A total of 4,668 ventilators or Bi PAP were also sent to India from April 27 to May 8.
The major items received on Saturday from Canada, Thailand, the Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Israel, the US, Japan, Malaysia, US (GILEAD), US (salesforce) and Indian community in Thailand include 2,404 oxygen concentrators, 25,000 Remdesivir vials, 218 ventilators, and 6,92,208 testing kits.
A coordination cell has been created in the Union Health Ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign Covid relief material. This cell started functioning from April 26, and Standard Operating Procedure has been framed and implemented by the Health Ministry since May 2, the statement said.
According to the statement, the Central government has designed a streamlined mechanism for effective allocation and prompt distribution of the supplies received by India. This will help to supplement the medical infrastructure of the tertiary care institutions and recipient states and UTs, and strengthen their clinical management of the hospitalised Covid-19 patients.
India has been receiving international aid of Covid-19 medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries and organisations.
AIIMS Director, Professor Randeep Guleria, on Sunday thanked all for sending foreign aid in form of medical equipment - ventilators, oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators to fight huge surge of cases.
