Transport fleet of IAF airlifts critical O2 tankers; EU, the US and other countries send medical aid

The transport fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) flew to four different locations outside India airlifting materials for fighting the surge in COVID-19 relief operation.

Know more about the aircraft deployed in relief mission

350 Oxygen cylinders from Singapore to Hindan Air base are being airlifted on board an IL-76. Another IL-76 is bringing 3 Cryogenic Oxygen containers arriving from Bangkok to Panagarh Air base.

According to IAF spokesperson, “One IAF C-17 has been deployed for airlifting 4 empty cryogenic oxygen containers from Bangkok to Panagarh. And in addition another C-17 has been deployed for getting 4 more empty cryogenic oxygen containers from Ostend, Belgium. These four too will be heading to Panagarh Air base.”

Within India …

Again, C-17s were deployed to airlift 2 empty cryogenic oxygen containers from Vijayawada to Bhubaneswar. Another 4 from Nagpur to Bhubaneswar; 4 from Hindan to Bhubaneswar; and 1 from Yelahanka to Bhubaneswar.

12 cryogenic oxygen containers have been airlifted from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar; 11 from Hindan, Agra and Lucknow going towards Ranchi and Jamnagar; 2 from Hindan to Ranchi; 7 from Bhopal to Jamnagar and Ranchi, and 4 from Chandigarh to Ranchi is in progress.

Aid from EU

In emergency funding to respond to the drastic surge in India, the Commission has allocated an initial €2.2 million. According to an official statement from the EU, “The funding will support the World Health Organization (WHO) for 6-month case management of COVID-19 patients. And will also be used for strengthening laboratory capacity for COVID-19 testing.”

According to Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič: “Additional EU support is being provided to fight against COVID-19 in India.” And, this is in addition to the assistance from EU Member States that stepped up as part of Team Europe to offer critical supplies of oxygen, ventilators and medicines over the last few days.

Over the last week via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, member states have already mobilized supplies to India of urgently needed medicines, oxygen, and ventilators. The member states include: from Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.

Aid from Germany

In an effort to address the growing Oxygen crisis in India, Germany is sending an Oxygen generating plant, which will be operated by 12 of its armed forces’ paramedics. The team is from the German Armed Forces Sanitary Command and will be training the medical team and experts in operating the O2 generating plant. The plant will be brought in two Airbus Defence and Space A400M transport aircraft which belong to the German Air Force. This plant will produce around 4, 00,000 litres of oxygen per day and will help save lives.

Aid from the US

A newly formed US-based public-private partnership — The Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, which has been organized by the US Chamber of Commerce and supported by Business Roundtable, on Wednesday announced its plans to help India.

The newly formed organization is working together with the Chamber’s US-India Business Council and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. It has announced three immediate steps to help India in its fight against COVID-19.

They will deliver 1,000 Puritan Bennett ventilators desperately needed by healthcare facilities across India. The first ventilators procured by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation arrived in New Delhi earlier on Wednesday (May 6, 2021) with all remaining ventilators expected to arrive by June 3. US based Medtronic will manufacture the ventilators and handle end-to-end shipping too.

Also, 25,000 oxygen concentrators will be arriving by the month end with the transportation support from FedEx.

From Down Under

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted about the arrival of 1056 ventilators and 43 oxygen concentrators from which have been gifted by Australia.