As India struggles to breathe, High Commission appeals for oxygen supplies
New Delhi, Apr 25: The Indian High Commission on Saturday issued an open appeal through social media for help to meet the rising demand for oxygen and medical supplies in India's devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It listed the required items as refillable oxygen cylinders, concentrators and the drug Remdesivir, used to treat severe Covid-19 cases. India has recorded nearly a million infections in three days, with 346,786 new cases on Saturday.
"@HCILondon thanks all who have come forward to help in Covid-19 situation. India needs: (i) Empty, refillable Oxygen cylinders with 10 litres and 45 litres LMO (liquid medical oxygen) capacity (ii) Oxygen concentrators (iii) in situ Oxygen manufacturing plants for hospitals & (iv) Remdesivir," reads the appeal on Twitter.
It comes as several diaspora organisations have also been coordinating efforts to provide assistance and support, amid news of oxygen supply shortages at hospitals in New Delhi and other regions.
"The Indian diaspora has huge confidence in Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and stand ready to help the government of India in any form they need," said Kuldeep Shekhawat, President of the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) diaspora group, which held a virtual meeting to consider a donation drive for the Prime Minister's Relief Fund if required.
On Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is looking at ways to help and support India through the crisis.
After SOS, Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital gets 5 tonnes of oxygen
"We're
looking
at
what
we
can
do
to
help
and
support
the
people
of
India,
possibly
with
ventilators,"
he
told
reporters
when
asked
about
the
pandemic
crisis
in
India
on
the
local
election
campaign
trail.
"Thanks
to
the
ventilator
challenge,
the
huge
efforts
of
British
manufacturers,
we're
better
able
now
to
deliver
ventilators
to
other
countries.
But
also
possibly
with
therapeutics,
dexamethasone,
other
things,
we'll
look
at
what
we
can
do
to
help,"
he
said.
Meanwhile,
the
so-called
India
variant,
believed
to
be
behind
the
spike
in
cases
in
the
country,
was
found
to
be
among
the
most
imported
forms
of
coronavirus
in
the
UK.
A
Public
Health
England
(PHE)
analysis
into
the
Variant
Under
Investigation
(VUI)
had
found
an
additional
55
cases
until
the
week
ending
April
14,
taking
the
total
of
the
B.1.617
variant
to
132.
It comes as India was added to the UK's "red list" travel ban list of 40 countries from Friday, imposing a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine and PCR tests requirement on any British and Irish nationals and long-term residents returning to the country.
According to a report in 'The Times', at least eight private jets were flown to Britain from India in 24 hours as those who could afford the costs flew into the UK just before the ban took effect from 4 am local time on Friday.