Vande Bharat Mission Phase V: India extends helping hand, sends medical aid to countries in South America

In a recent telephonic conversation between Foreign Ministers of India and Peru, Dr S Jaishankar had announced a medical-aid gift to the South American nation.

More and more Indians are returning home on the special flights which have been organized to get them back. Phase V is in progress and by the end of the month around 375 international flights are scheduled to be operated.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been in close coordination with other agencies, state government and ministries have been working round the clock to bring back the stranded citizens from across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Responding to queries, the official spokesperson of MEA, Anurag Srivastava said “So far 11.23 lakh Indians stranded abroad have been repatriated by different modes under VBM as on August 19, 2020.”

Giving an update, the official spokesperson said “Phase V is going on. So far 500 international flights and 130 domestic feeders have been operated. These have gone to 22 different countries and have reached 23 airports across India.”

According to Anurag Srivastava, “The flights are scheduled based on the assessments made by the Indian missions. For repatriation from Kuwait, Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, UK and Canada, flights have been sent. And, with the demands going up, the number of flights from other GCC countries has been further increased.”

Bilateral Air Bubbles

So far the bilateral air bubbles, arrangements with US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, UAE, Qatar and the Maldives are operational and functioning well. Negotiations are going on with around 18 countries on air travel arrangements. These include Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka Australia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, and the Philippines, are ongoing.

Care & Share — Medical Aid to Bolivia & Peru

The Development Partnership Administration (DPA), MEA recently handed over medical aid to Bolivia and Peru. In the face of huge challenges posed by COVID related restrictions, both DPA-II & IV Divisions and LAC Division facilitated the consignments.

Talking to Financial Express Online, a top diplomat said “India’s medical-aid consignment comprising medicines and protective gear was formally handed over to the Bolivian side.” In a virtual ceremony, on behalf of President Áñez and the people of that country, Deputy Health Minister Óscar Landivar thanked India for the donation.

India handed over around 6.2 tonne medical supplies, which included 700 disposable surgical gowns, 3,500 surgical gloves, 1,750 cape hood, 3,500 overshoes, as well as 14,000 units of intravenous paracetamol, 14,000 units of Metrindazole infusion, 14,000 units each of Cefotaxime tablets and Ceftriaxone injection. The aid to the Bolivian government also included 21,000 tablets of Vitamin C, 21,000 tablets of Ibuprofen, 21,000 units of Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid suspension, 14,000 units of Amikacin injection, 300,000 tablets of Hydroxychloroquine, 14,000 Lopinavir/Ritonavir tablets, and 9,500 tablets of 5MG Levocetirizine.

In a recent telephonic conversation between Foreign Ministers of India and Peru, Dr S Jaishankar had announced a medical-aid gift to the South American nation. Over 9 tonnes of medicines and protective gear as part of India’s assistance to help the Government of Peru to combat the Covid-19 pandemic was handed over last week.

At the handing-over ceremony Dr Pallar Mezzetti, Minister of Health, emphasized that “the medical aid has come at a time when India is also suffering from this pandemic, and it makes this gesture even more significant.”

India has handed over 1,000 disposable surgical gowns, 5,000 surgical gloves, 2,500 cape hood, 5,000 overshoes, as well as 20,000 units of intravenous paracetamol, 20,000 units of Metrindazole infusion, 20,000 units each of Cefotaxime tablets and Ceftriaxone injection. There is 30,000 tablets of Vitamin C, 30,000 tablets of Ibuprofen, 30,000 units of Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid suspension, 20,000 units of Amikacin injection, 900,000 tablets of Hydroxychloroquine, 9,500Levocentrizine tablets, 19,920 Lopinavir/Ritonavir tablets, and 20,000 capsules of Oseltamivir.