First consignment of O2 concentrators arrived from Germany: Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that first consignment of oxygen concentrators have arrived from Germany on an Air India flight.
An oxygen concentrators, is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air.
In a tweet, the minister on Thursday said: “First consignment of Oxygen concentrators from Germany arrives in Delhi on @airindiain Flight AI120. More to follow.
“Every stakeholder of India’s civil aviation sector is making a meaningful contribution in our unrelenting fight against COVID.”
Besides, Air India, SpiceXpress, the air cargo arm of SpiceJet, on Wednesday, airlifted 1,000 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong to Delhi.
In the last two weeks, more than 2,000 oxygen concentrators have been airlifted by SpiceJet for SpiceHealth.
Lately, India is reporting new record daily increases in coronavirus infections, prompting new lockdowns and restrictive measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.
The exponential rise has lifted the demand for these medical equipments which are used to provide oxygen to Covid-19 patients especially as the country faces a supply crunch in the availability of medical oxygen.
Ontario to donate 3,000 ventilators to Indian Red Cross to fight pandemic
Even as Canada’s biggest province is facing the third wave of the coronavirus driven by new, more-contagious variants, Premier Doug Ford said the ventilators were being donated in response to calls for help from the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa and the Consul General in Toronto.
The e700 Transport ventilators, manufactured by Brampton-based O-Two Medical Technologies, will be shipped to India soon.
The Premier said his government would also arrange transportation to India of the medical equipment being donated by the Indian diaspora and friends of India in Ontario.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of India during these difficult times. Our government will keep working closely with Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner of India and Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India to Toronto and stand ready to assist further with India’s urgent needs, for as long as we are able to. We are all in this together and we will all overcome this together,” the Ontario Premier said.
Thailand Sends Medical Aid To India To Fight Pandemic
Medical aid is pouring in from around the world to India with the latest help coming from Thailand to fight the virulent second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Official sources said that the Thailand government has sent its aircraft to evacuate some Thai Embassy officials from India. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) flight, which arrived in India on Saturday for evacuation, also carried 15 oxygen concentrators as donation from the Thailand government to the Indian Red Cross, along with 15 concentrators donated by the Hindu Samaj of Bangkok.
Official sources said Thailand Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chano Cha conveyed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs his desire to offer assistance to India.
The Indian government, sources said, had indicated that it requires oxygen cylinders, concentrators, generators and cryogenic oxygen tanks.
Meanwhile, Indian corporates, in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Thailand and the Ministry of Home Affairs, have been sourcing cryogenic tanks from Thailand. Eleven tanks in three sorties by the Indian Air Force (IAF) have already reached India. The Indian community in Thailand has also extended its support.
In addition, 100 oxygen cylinders have separately been offered by the Indian Association of Thailand. Steps are being taken for their speedy transportation to India.
Thanking the Thailand government and the Indian community in that country, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, “Further strengthening historical ties with a close maritime neighbour. Welcome the gift of 15 oxygen concentrators from our ASEAN partner and friend Thailand. Also thank the Indian community in Thailand which have generously donated another 15 oxygen concentrators.”
Meanwhile, by April 30, India had received 495 oxygen concentrators and 140 ventilators from the UK; 200 oxygen concentrators from Mauritius; 256 oxygen cylinders from Singapore; 20 large oxygen concentrators, 75 ventilators, 150 bedside monitors, and 2,00,000 packs of Favipiravir from Russia; 157 ventilators, 480 BiPAPs, goggles, masks from the UAE; and 700 oxygen concentrators and 365 ventilators from Ireland.
India also received 80 oxygen concentrators, 75 oxygen cylinders, and 20 high-flow humidify oxygen therapy devices from Romania, and 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators (200 Size D, 223 Size H), 210 pulse oximeters, 184,000 Abbott Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits, 84000 N-95 face masks, 17 H-size (large) oxygen cylinders and 7,00,000 Abbott Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits from the US.
7 Navy ships to bring oxygen, medical equipment from various nations
Seven Indian Navy ships have been deployed for the shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries to strengthen Indias fight against the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“INS Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat have been deployed for the shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers in support of the nation’s fight against Covid-19 and as part of operation ‘Samudra Setu II’,” the Indian Navy stated.
INS Kolkata and INS Talwar, deployed in the Persian Gulf, were the first batch of ships that were immediately diverted for the task and entered the port of Manama, Bahrain, on Friday. INS Talwar is headed back home with 40 MT liquid medical oxygen (LMO).
INS Kolkata has proceeded to Doha, Qatar, for embarking medical supplies and will subsequently head to Kuwait for embarking liquid oxygen tanks.
Similarly, on the Eastern seaboard, INS Airavat has been diverted for the task, while INS Jalashwa, the LPD which played a key role during operation Samudra Setu last year, was pulled out of maintenance, readied and sailed out to augment the effort, the Navy said.
INS Airavat is scheduled to enter Singapore for embarking liquid oxygen tanks, while INS Jalashwa is standing by in the region to embark medical supplies at short notice.
The second batch of ships comprising INS Kochi, Trikand and Tabar deployed in the Arabian Sea has also been diverted to join the efforts.
From the Southern Naval Command, landing ship tank INS Shardul is being readied to join the operation within 48 hours.
The Indian Navy also has the surge capability to deploy more ships when the need arises to further the nation’s fight against Covid-19, it said.
All the ships are combat ready and capable of meeting any contingency in keeping with the attributes of the versatility of sea power, the Navy said.
It may be recalled that operation Samudra Setu was launched last year by the Navy and around 4,000 Indian citizens stranded in the neighbouring countries due to the Covid outbreak were successfully repatriated back to India.
CA pledges $50,000 towards India’s fight against Covid-19
Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday said that it has pledged an “initial donation” of $50,000 towards India’s fight against the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
CA also said that it is partnering with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) UNICEF Australia to raise more funds.
“Australian Cricket has been deeply saddened by the devastation caused by this second coronavirus wave to hit India, a country with which Australians share a strong friendship and connection,” it said in a statement.
“Cricket Australia will make an initial donation of $50,000 and encourage Australians everywhere to give generously at this critical time in India’s Covid-19 response,” it further said.
This follows up by Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins and former pacer Brett Lee making donations towards the fight against the devastating second wave of the pandemic in India.
“Australians and Indians share a special bond and, for many, our mutual love of cricket is central to that friendship,” said Cricket Australia’s interim CEO Nick Hockley.
“It has been distressing and saddening to learn of the suffering of so many of our Indian sisters and brothers during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and our hearts go out to everyone impacted. We were all deeply moved by the sentiments expressed and donations given by Pat Cummins and Brett Lee over the past week,” he said.
