13,093 oxygen concentrators, nearly 6.1 lakh Remdesivir vials received as foreign aid: Centre

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) A total of 13,093 oxygen concentrators, 15,801 oxygen cylinders and nearly 6.1 lakh Remdesivir vials received as global aid have been delivered or dispatched to states and union territories from April 27 to May 19, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

The government has been receiving international cooperation for COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries and organisations.

These are being promptly dispatched and delivered to the states and union territories (UTs), the ministry said.

Cumulatively, 13,093 oxygen concentrators,15,801 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen generation plants, 10,425 ventilators and Bi-PAPs, and about 6.1 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered or dispatched through road and air from April 27 to May 19, it stated.

The major consignments received on 18-19 May from Ontario (Canada), Kuwait, Oman, Myanmar, USISPF and the UK Medical Aid International included 219 oxygen concentrators and 500 Ventilators, Bi-PAPs and CPAPs Effective immediate allocation, and streamlined delivery to the recipient states, union territories and institutions is an ongoing exercise, the ministry said.

The ministry is comprehensively monitoring this on a regular basis, it said.

The ministry said that a cell has been created to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign COVID relief material as international cooperation in the form of grants, aid and donations.

This cell started functioning from April 26 and a Standard Operating Procedure has been framed and implemented by the ministry since May 2.PTI PLB ANB ANB