India received 8,900 oxygen concentrators, 5,043 cylinders as foreign aid

A total of 8,900 oxygen concentrators, 5,043 oxygen cylinders, 18 oxygen generation plants and about 3.4 lakh Remdesivir vials received as aid from foreign countries, says Union Health Ministry

A total of 8,900 oxygen concentrators, 5,043 oxygen cylinders, 18 oxygen generation plants and about 3.4 lakh Remdesivir vials received as aid from foreign countries have been delivered or dispatched to various states and union territories between April 27 and May 9, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

Major items received on May 9 from the UK, South Korea, USISPF, include 1,000 ventilators/BiPAP/CPAP, 2,267 oxygen concentrators, 10,000 oximeters and 200 cylinders, it stated.

"Cumulatively 8,900 oxygen concentrators, 5,043 oxygen cylinders, 18 oxygen generation plants, 5,698 ventilators/Bi PAP, about 3.4 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/dispatched through road and air between April 27 and May 9," the statement said.

"Effective immediate allocation and streamlined delivery to the recipient states and union territories and institutions is an ongoing exercise," the ministry said.

The Union Health Ministry is comprehensively monitoring this on a regular basis, the statement said, adding that a dedicated coordination cell has been created in the ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign COVID relief material as grants, aid and donations.

This cell started functioning from April 26, it said.

A Standard Operating Procedure has been framed and implemented by the Union Health Ministry since May 2.

The Government of India has been receiving international donations and aid of relief medical supplies and equipments since 27 April from different countries and organisations to augment its efforts in fighting the unprecedented surge in COVID cases in the country, it said.

Through a streamlined and systematic mechanism under the "Whole of Government" approach, various ministries and departments of Government of India have seamlessly collaborated for expeditiously delivering the incoming global aid to states and union territories, the statement added.