UK diaspora, biz, airlines working to ensure vital equipment reaches India

LONDON: Indian diplomats, business groups, and members of the diaspora are working vigorously towards ensuring vital medical equipment reaches India to save lives. While donations of equipment and money are pouring in, flights between the UK and India being restricted to 30 per week is proving to be a hurdle. But India’s well-wishers are devising ways to get around.
The Indian high commission in the UK tweeted, “India-UK corporate partnerships rising to the occasion: Thank you @airvistara @VirginAtlantic and @airindiain for immediate offer of logistics support for supply and donations of emergency medical equipment from UK to India.” TOI contacted all three airlines, but none could confirm what assistance they are offering. However, a spokesperson for British Airways said, “IAG Cargo and British Airways are working closely with suppliers and the government to provide vital support”.
Some charities have found space on flights. Slough-based Sikh charity Khalsa Aid has received in donations from the British public several hundred pieces of equipment, including oxygen concentrators, oximeters, thermometers and PPE, which it is sending out on Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Delhi this weekend.
The UK government’s equipment is also reaching India. The UK will also send three oxygen generation units, each producing 500 litres of oxygen per minute, enough for 50 people to use at a time. The Confederation of British Industry, the UK India Business Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry in Britain have all launched an urgent appeal to identify companies that may be able to help address urgent shortages in India.
The crisis in India was raised as an urgent question in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Minister for Asia Nigel Adams said the UK was taking its lead “from what the Indian government advise us is most useful”, and said PM Johnson will be speaking to PM Modi “shortly” via video.