International solidarity and emergency medical supplies poured in on Saturday to help India fight the COVID-19 pandemic. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar received calls of support from his Norwegian and Spanish counterparts Ine Eriksen Soreide and Arancha Gonzalez.
The U.S. is sending a National Airlines Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft which is scheduled to land in Delhi around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. It is carrying the biggest aid till date from the U.S. to India of around 100 tonnes including oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, medicines and other COVID-related medical products. There are about 6-7 flights which will be coming in the next few days via the National Airlines cargo flights, one airlines official said.
World-class oxygen plants
French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said 28 tons of medical equipment will be flown by the French government on Sunday. The cargo will include “8 world-class oxygen plants that will make 8 Indian hospitals oxygen autonomous for 10+ years,” said Mr. Lenain in a social media message.
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Substantial cargo arrived from Thailand on Saturday with 30 oxygen concentrators, of which 15 were from the Thai government and 15 donated by the Indian community there. “Discussed the COVID-19 challenge and international cooperation with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Appreciated the supplies of cryogenic tanks and other oxygen-related equipment. Confident that we can continue to count on our partnership with Thailand,” Mr. Jaishankar said on social media.
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The IAF has deployed an IL-76 transport aircraft to carry three empty cryogenic oxygen containers from Singapore to Panagarh.
The U.K. is also working on a combined plan with the IAF to airlift additional emergency supplies expected to be finalised shortly. The Navy has deployed seven ships Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat for shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.
INS Kolkata and INS Talwar, mission deployed in Persian Gulf, were the first batch of ships that were immediately diverted for the task and entered port of Manama on Friday. INS Talwar, with 40 MT of liquid medical oxygen, is headed back home, the Navy said in a statement.
INS Kolkata proceeds to Doha
INS Kolkata has proceeded to Doha for medical supplies and will head to Kuwait for liquid oxygen tanks. Similarly, on the Eastern seaboard, INS Airavat has been diverted for the task, while INS Jalashwa was pulled out of maintenance, readied and sailed out to augment the effort, the Navy said.
“INS Airavat is scheduled to enter Singapore for embarking liquid oxygen tanks and INS Jalashwa is standing by in the region to embark medical stores at short notice.”
The second batch of ships comprising Kochi, Trikand and Tabar mission deployed in the Arabian sea have also been diverted to join the national effort. From the Southern Naval Command, the Landing Ship Tank INS Shardul is being readied to join the operation within 48 hours, the Navy said.
