US vows support to India for Covid fight, UK to send medical devices

The United States on Sunday pledged to “rapidly deploy additional support” to India as an unabated rise in Covid-19 cases continued to wreak havoc in the country, and said it was “working closely” with the Indian government.
 
This came amid intense pressure on the Biden government from various quarters, including the powerful US Chambers of Commerce, lawmakers, and Indian-Americans, to ship AstraZeneca and other Covid-19 vaccines, along with life-saving medical supplies, to India.
 
“Our hearts go out to the Indian people in the midst of the horrific Covid-19 outbreak. We are working closely with our partners in the Indian government, and we will rapidly deploy additional support to the people of India and India's health care heroes,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted on Twitter.

 

In a separate tweet, Jake Sullivan, US national security advisor, said, “The US is deeply concerned by the severe Covid outbreak in India. We are working around the clock to deploy more supplies and support to our friends and partners in India as they bravely battle this pandemic. More very soon.”
 
A senior government official said India was urgently looking at augmenting oxygen supply. “We may be able to procure some oxygen-related items from the US. The US is also being looked at in this context.”
 
India has been reporting more than 300,000 daily infections for the past few days, with hospitals falling short of beds, oxygen supplies, and other crucial medical equipment.

 
Several other nations, too, have offered India help to deal with the Covid crisis. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said her government was preparing emergency aid for India. “To the people of India, I want to express my sympathy on the terrible suffering that Covid-19 has again brought over your communities,” Merkel said in a message shared on Twitter by her spokesman Steffen Seibert. “The fight against the pandemic is our common fight. Germany stands in solidarity with India and is urgently preparing a mission of support.”
 
The UK announced sending life-saving medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen concentrator devices, to the country. Saudi Arabia is shipping 80 tonnes of liquid oxygen to India, in cooperation with the Adani group and Linde company. Pakistan has offered to provide ventilators and other medical equipment to its neighbour. On Thursday, China had offered to provide the necessary support and assistance to India to deal with the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.

 
“As an extension of vaccine nationalism, the US first stopped export of vaccines, and then export of vaccine raw materials. While it is also important for countries to cover everyone, a country like the US is much more capable of addressing the problem. Developed countries have to be more sensitive to the global needs,” Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Biswajit Dhar said.