COVID-19: 120 oxygen concentrators arrive in India from UK amid crisis

Amid a deadly second wave of coronavirus, a consignment of 120 oxygen concentrators from the United Kingdom reached India on April 29. While taking to Twitter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bachi announced the “cooperation with the UK continues”. Bagchi further welcomed the shipment from the UK and shared pictures of the shipment which arrived Thursday morning. 

The shipment comes after the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said that Britain stands with Indian “friends in their fight against COVID-19”. The UK High Commission in India on Wednesday additionally also announced that it will send further vital oxygen equipment to India. The UK had said that it would send three oxygen generation units, each with the capacity of producing 500 litres of oxygen per minute, to Indian in a bid to support the country’s fight against the deadly virus. 

The COVID-19 situation in India has seen a surge in demand for medical oxygen and beds for the patients. Many parts of the country are also reporting an actual shortage of essential medical supplies. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, several countries around the globe have come forward to help India as it continues to struggle with the rising coronavirus cases. 

Russia sends humanitarian aid 

Earlier today, two Russian flights carrying oxygen concentrators, lung ventilation equipment, bedside monitors, medicines, including ‘Coronavir’ and other essential pharmaceutical items also landed in India. Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev took to Twitter to inform that two flights by Russian EMERCOM arrived in India to provide humanitarian assistance as it struggles to beat the second wave of Coronavirus amid limited resources. The Envoy further said that Russia is closely watching the alarming situation in India as it grapples with the unprecedented surge in the COVID-19 infection. 

Meanwhile, India again recorded the highest single-day surge of COVID-19 infections, registering  3,79,257 new cases along with 3,645 deaths and 2,69,507 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The total active cases of the infection in India have now mounted to 30,84,814. The cumulative count, on the other hand, has gone up to 1,83,76,524, while as many as 2,04,832 people have succumbed to the disease so far. 

(Image: Twitter/ ANI/AP)