The United States is delivering medical supplies worth more than USD 100 million in the coming days to India to provide urgent relief as the country battles a new wave of COVID-19 cases, said the White House.
Under the immediate emergency COVID-19 Assistance, Washington is providing 1700 oxygen concentrators, an initial delivery of 1,100 cylinders, multiple large-scale Oxygen Generation Units to support up to 20 patients each, to India.
The White House said that US government assistance flights will start arriving in India on Thursday, April 29 and will continue into next week.
According to the Fact Sheet issued by the Biden administration on Wednesday (local time), the US has re-directed its own order of Astra Zeneca manufacturing supplies to India which will allow the country to make over 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and it will be providing the first tranche of a planned 20,000 treatment courses of the antiviral drug Remdesivir to help treat hospitalized patients.
The United States and India have closely worked together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said.
"Reflecting the United States' solidarity with India as it battles a new wave of COVID-19 cases, the United States is delivering supplies worth more than USD 100 million in the coming days to provide urgent relief to our partners in India," the fact sheet read.
"Just as India sent assistance to the United States when our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," it noted.
The White House elaborated on the types of assistance that will be provided by the United States in the coming days.
The Biden administration said that the US is providing an initial delivery of 1,100 oxygen cylinders that will remain in India and can be repeatedly refilled at local supply centres, with more planeloads to come.
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also locally procured oxygen cylinders and will deliver them to support hospital systems in coordination with the Government of India.
Also, the US will supply 1700 oxygen concentrators to obtain oxygen from ambient air, these mobile units provide options for flexible patient treatment and multiple large-scale units to support up to 20 patients each, and additional mobile units will provide an ability to target specific shortages.
As many as 15 million N95 masks to protect both patients and Indian health care personnel will be provided by the United States to India. The United States will also be delivering 1 million rapid diagnostic tests.
In addition, the fact sheet noted that US state governments, private compes, non-government orgzations, and thousands of Americans from across the country have mobilized to deliver vital oxygen, related equipment, and essential supplies for Indian hospitals to support frontline health care workers and the people of India most affected during the current outbreak.
( With inputs from ANI )
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