New Delhi: As India continues to battle the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Saturday said 10,953 oxygen concentrators, 13,169 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen generation plants, 6,835 ventilators/Bi PAP and 4.9 lakh Remdesivir vials received as global aid were delivered/ dispatched through road and air to various states and Union Territories from April 27 to May 14.
The Union Health Ministry said the Government of India, at the forefront of the “Whole of government” approach to combat the ongoing Covid-19 has been receiving international donations and aid of relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries/organisations to augment its efforts in fighting the unprecedented surge of cases.
Through a streamlined and systematic mechanism, various ministries/departments of the Government of India have seamlessly collaborated for expeditiously delivering the incoming global aid to states and UTs.
The major consignments received on May 13 and 14 from the US, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Oman, British Oxygen Co. (UK), Koharu 3SP (Japan) and Gilead (USA) includes: Remdesivir: 68,810; Tocilizumab: 1,000- Vetilators/BiPAP/CPAP: 338; Oxygen Cylinder: 900 and Oxygen Concentrators: 157, the Health Ministry said in a release.
Effective immediate allocation and streamlined delivery to the recipient states/UTs and institutions is an ongoing exercise, said the Union Health Ministry, adding it is comprehensively monitoring this on a regular basis.
The Health Ministry said a dedicated coordination cell has been created to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign Covid relief material as grants, aid and donations, adding this cell started functioning from April 26.
The Health Ministry further said a Standard Operating Procedure has been framed and implemented since May 2.