The UK is to send life-saving medical equipment to India, which is currently facing a particularly deadly wave of COVID-19.
India has set world records for new coronavirus infections in recent days, with 349,691 cases reported in just 24 hours to Sunday morning – while another 2,767 people lost their lives after battling the virus.
The UK Government has announced it will be sending over 600 pieces of medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators to the country from the UK’s surplus stocks. A total of nine airline container loads of supplies are to be sent to the country in the coming days, and the UK Government has said it is working closely with the Government of India to identify if it can provide any further assistance.
Speaking about the support, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said,
“We have all got to work together to tackle Covid-19. India is a very important partner to us, so we’re providing oxygen concentrators and ventilators to help save the lives of the most vulnerable. We will be following up on this first delivery with further support, based on our ongoing discussions with the Indian Government.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has described recent scenes in India as “heart-breaking” and has said they “show once again how awful this terrible disease is.”
According to reports, most hospitals in Dehli, India’s capital city, are full and some have run out of oxygen supplies. Critical care beds and medicines have also been in high demand, but low supply.
More than 3 million cases of COVID-19 have been identified in India in the last two weeks alone. India’s coronavirus crisis has prompted international concern, with the UK, and United States among the countries to offer support.
