International aid arrives in India.
The first shipments of medical equipment sent from Western countries arrived Tuesday April 27 in India, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
In total, 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators sent by London to help New Delhi cope with the sharp outbreak of Covid-19 cases.
Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos of the material being unloaded from a Lufthansa flight in Delhi, hailing an example of "international cooperation".
Britain, one of many countries to announce aid as India's healthcare system overwhelmed by exploding Covid-19 cases, deploys more than 600 units of medical equipment vital.
A total of nine aerial containers loaded with supplies, including 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive respirators and 20 manual respirators, will be dispatched this week, according to the British High Commission in New Delhi.
Paris, Washington and Brussels promise help
For its part, France, whose aid should arrive in India by the end of the week, specified the nature of its "solidarity operation".
It will consist of eight medical oxygen production units per generator, liquefied oxygen containers, 5 of which will be transported initially, making it possible to supply medical oxygen to up to 10,000 patients over a day, as well as specialized medical equipment including 28 respirators, said the French Embassy in a statement to AFP.
The United States, following a telephone exchange Monday, April 28 between its President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, committed to emergency aid including in particular components for the production of vaccines, equipment protection, rapid diagnostic tests, or respirators.
Washington is also studying the possibility of sending in oxygen supplies.
The European Union has promised to provide "assistance" to India through its European Civil Protection Mechanism.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced emergency aid.
World record of infections
The urgency is glaring: in a few days, the "Indian" variant has plunged this country of 1.3 billion inhabitants into chaos, patients succumbing in hospitals saturated by lack of oxygen.
>> To read: Covid-19: how India found itself short of oxygen
According to data from the Ministry of Health released on Tuesday, 323,144 new confirmed cases of coronavirus contamination were recorded for a single day.
If the number is down, after the record set the day before, it remains above the threshold of 300,000 infections for a sixth consecutive day.
On Monday, the country recorded a world record of 352,991 people infected in a single day, and a national record of 2,812 deaths.
India is the fourth most bereaved country in the world, with at least 197,894 dead, including 2,771 recorded in the last 24 hours.
Australia suspends flights with India
The toll of the epidemic in the country now stands at more than 17.6 million infections and crematoriums have been operating at full capacity in recent days.
Faced with the situation in the country, Australia announced on Tuesday the suspension of all direct flights with India.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the measure will remain in effect until May 15, leaving thousands of Australians, including professional cricketers, stranded.
With AFP and Reuters
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