India delivers 1 lakh RAT kits as part of COVID aid to Sri Lanka hit by financial crisis

As Sri Lanka is facing a severe financial crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic, India is continuing its COVID-19 support to the nation by commencing the supply of 100,000 Rapid Antigen Self Test Kits on the nation’s Independence Day, as per the High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Further, the Indian high commission announced on Twitter on February 4, Friday that the remaining covid-19 test kits will be delivered in the following days. 

Taking to Twitter, the Indian high commission in Colombo wrote, “A special gift from a friend on #IndependenceDay!! India continues its #COVID19 assistance to #SriLanka by initiating the delivery of 100,000 RAT kits from today.” 

Furthermore, earlier in the month of August 2021, India had donated additional 100 tons of medical oxygen to Sri Lanka to bolster the island nation's battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.  

India has offered to help Sri Lanka to overcome acute financial restraints

In addition to this, India has offered to help Sri Lanka to overcome acute financial restraints created by foreign debt obligations and a scarcity of US dollars in the country for commerce. Further, India has promised to give USD 2.415 billion to the island country as it faces a catastrophic financial crisis, ANI reported.  

External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar met virtually with Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa last month. During the discussion, Jaishankar stated that India has always supported Sri Lanka and will continue to do so in every manner feasible in order to help the country overcome the economic and other problems faced by the COVID-19 outbreak.  

To assist Sri Lanka in overcoming its economic problems, India has extended $400 million to Sri Lanka under the SAARC currency swap agreement and deferred the ACU (Asian Clearing Union) settlement of $515.2 million by two months. According to a report by the Policy Research Group (PRG), India's vital assistance to Sri Lanka is because of the country's continuous fuel problem, which it is unable to buy due to a lack of US dollars in the nation. 

COVID cases in Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, as per Worldometers, over 615,902 individuals have been affected by the disease in the nation since the outbreak, and more than 15,544 people have lost their lives due to Coronavirus. Further, in the month of November of last year, booster doses of COVID-19 were started to be given to persons aged 60 and higher, according to Sri Lankan health experts.  

(Image: PTI/ AP/ Twitter@IndiainSL)