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.
Canada sending medical supplies to India
With the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic having devastating impacts in India, Canada has announced that it is sending up to 25,000 vials of Remdesivir and up to 350 ventilators from its National Emergency Strategic Stockpile to help respond to the critical situation across India.
This support, announced on Wednesday, complements Canada’s work with its international partners to respond to the needs caused by the pandemic and to help save lives.
The Canada government is also providing support through UNICEF’s response to the pandemic in India with the urgent provisioning of 1,450 oxygen concentrators. The funds for these operations come partly from the $230 million contribution to the therapeutics pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, announced in December 2020.
This support is in addition to Canada’s $10 million support to the Canadian Red Cross Society, which is supporting the Indian Red Cross Society’s procurement of essential supplies and medicines.
The supplies identified for this donation will not compromise the continued efforts of the Covid-19 response at home in Canada.
The Canadian armed forces will provide airlifting support to transport these supplies to India.
“Canada continues to stand in solidarity with the people of India. We must all unite in this hour of need and work together in the global fight against this virus that is devastating lives across the globe,” said an official statement quoting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is a global challenge and has reminded countries around the world that we are better off with each other’s help. That’s why the Canadian armed forces will support and transfer supplies to our friends in India to help defeat Covid-19. Throughout this pandemic and into the future, Canada will continue to be there for its allies in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Canada’s Indian-origin Minister of National Defence, Harjit S. Sajjan.
Minister of International Development, Karina Gould, added, “If there was ever a time for countries to support one another, it is right now. Canadians have always showed solidarity in times of crisis, and by sending these supplies, we will be helping the frontline workers carry out their life-saving work.”
The Canadian armed forces deployed a CC-150 Polaris aircraft from 8 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Trenton, on May 5 to deliver the vials of Remdesivir (brand name Veklury) and 50 ventilators that are ready for shipment to India.
Remdesivir is used in the treatment of patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19. Twenty-five thousand vials are equivalent to more than 4,000 courses of treatment.
COVID-19 crisis: Israel dispatches second consignment of medical aid to India
Israel on Friday dispatched the second consignment of medical aid, including three large oxygen generator plants, to India to deal with the recent surge in coronavirus cases.
An Indian Air Force aircraft carrying 360 oxygen concentrators and three large oxygen generator plants left Ben-Gurion Airport for India on Friday afternoon.
Confirming the dispatch, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said, “We stand by India the way it stood by us in the first weeks of the Corona crisis when they facilitated the arrival of vital medical equipment to Israel.”
“In the coming days, further plane loads of aid are expected to take off from Israel to our friends in #India,” Ashkenazi tweeted.
Israel sent the first consignment of life-saving equipment to India on Tuesday, promising to send more during the week.
As India battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.
The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.
Covid aid received from global community allocated to States/UTs
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has allocated COVID-19 materials received from the global community by Centre to States and UTs while country’s Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeded 16.25 crore as the nationwide vaccination drive expands.
The Ministry said, “Government of India has been receiving international donations/aid of Covid-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since 27 April 2021 from different countries. All items received so far are allocated to the states/institutions and substantial part of it stands delivered. This is an ongoing exercise. The aim is to extend all support and assistance through various means and measures to strengthen the States and UT’s efforts during this critical phase.”
On the other hand, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 16.25 cr as the Phase-3 of the nationwide vaccination drive expands further. The Ministry said more than 9 Lakh beneficiaries of age group 18-44 were vaccinated under Phase-3 of the drive.
A total of 9,04,263 beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccines across 12 States. These states are — Chhattisgarh (1,026), Delhi (1,29,096), Gujarat (1,96,860), Jammu and Kashmir (16,387), Haryana (1,23,484), Karnataka (5,328), Maharashtra (1,53,966), Odisha (21,031), Punjab (1,535), Rajasthan (1,80,242), Tamil Nadu (6,415) and UP (68,893).
Cumulatively, 16,25,13,339 vaccine doses have been administered through 29,34,844 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 a.m. on Thursday. These include 94,80,739 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 63,54,113 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 1,36,57,922 FLWs (1st dose), 74,25,592 FLWs (2nd dose), 9,04,263 beneficiaries under 18-45 age group (1st dose), 5,31,16,901 1st dose beneficiaries and 1,29,15,354 2nd dose beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 5,38,15,026 (1st dose) and 48,43,429 (2nd dose) beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years.
Ten states account for 66.87 per cent of the cumulative doses given so far in the country. More than 19 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours. As on Day-110 of the vaccination drive (5th May, 2021), 19,55,733 vaccine doses were given. Across 15,903 sessions, 8,99,163 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 10,56,570 beneficiaries received their 2nd dose of vaccine.
India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,72,80,844. The National Recovery Rate is 81.99 per cent. A total of 3,29,113 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours. Ten states account for 74.71 per cent of the new recoveries.
While just 53,816 weekly recoveries were registered at the start of April, the figure has surpassed the 3 Lakh mark (3,13,424) by Thursday starting at the end of April.
India recorded 4,12,262 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Ten States including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan report 72.19 per cent of the new cases.
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 57,640. It is followed by Karnataka with 50,112 while Kerala reported 41,953 new cases.
India’s total active caseload has reached 35,66,398. It now comprises 16.92 per cent of the country’s total positive cases. A net incline of 79,169 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.
Twelve states cumulatively account for 81.05 per cent of India’s total active cases.
The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.09 per cent. India reported 3,980 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Ten States account for 75.55 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (920). Uttar Pradesh follows with 353 daily deaths.
Five States/UTs have not reported any COVID deaths in the last 24 hours. These are D&D & D&N, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh (UT) and Mizoram.
