New Delhi: France on Sunday delivered 28 tonnes of ready-to-use medical supplies, including eight large oxygen plants, to India as part of the first phase of its solidarity mission to the country, which has struggled with records. coronavirus incidents.
The French embassy said that each of the eight plants could supply oxygen to a 250-bed hospital for a dozen 24-hour runs and that they produced medical oxygen from the air.
“The oxygen plants will be delivered to eight Indian hospitals, 6 in Delhi, one in Haryana and one in Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities,” the French embassy said in a statement on Saturday.
A special cargo flight brought the supplies from France to Delhi.
French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said more supplies would soon come from France and that both countries stood together in this fight against the pandemic.
According to the embassy, the medical stock is worth more than 17 million.
“We are standing in India in these difficult times, just as India has always stood by France. “In the spring of 2020, when acute shortages arose in French hospitals, India provided life-saving assistance by exporting critical medical supplies,” Lenain said.
“The French people have not forgotten. “India has in fact been at the forefront of international cooperation against the pandemic, among other things by sharing its massive vaccine production capacity with the countries in need,” he said.
The French stock also consists of 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pumps distributed to various hospitals to improve their ICU capacity.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said France’s aid was proof of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
“A testament to India-France’s strategic partnership and friendship! 28 tons of medical equipment, including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies, arrive from France. Appreciate the support of France wholeheartedly. Will strengthen our oxygen capacity, ”he tweeted.
A testament to 🇮🇳🇫🇷strategic partnership and friendship! 28 tons of medical equipment, including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies, arrive from France. Appreciate the support of suffering. This will strengthen our oxygen capacity. pic.twitter.com/CoGHpxEla2
– Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) 2 May 2021
Separately, Belgium also sent 9000 bottles of Remdesivir to India on Sunday.
The US sent a third flight to India on Saturday night with more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, regulators and other medical equipment.
Two U.S. military planes brought large quantities of emergency medical supplies to India on Friday, including 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators, 210 pulse oximeters, 17 large oxygen cylinders, 8.84,000 Abbott-speed diagnostic test kits and 84,000 N-95 face masks.
While India suffered a devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to quit the situation.
The leading countries that have announced aid to India include the USA, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.
Some countries have already delivered the supplies.
Source: Telangana Today