United States
ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Tuesday handed over the first tranche of
100 ventilators to India to assist in the country's fight against COVID-19, the
Indian Red Cross Society said.
IMAGE:
First tranche of 100 ventilators from the US arrived in India. Photograph:
@usaid_india/Twitter
President Donald Trump had
announced in May that the US will donate ventilators to India to treat COVID-19
patients and help it fight the "invisible enemy".
Indian
Red Cross Society Secretary General R K Jain accepted the first tranche of the
US Agency for International Development-funded ventilators from Ambassador
Juster at the IRCS national headquarters.
The Indian Red Cross said it extends its heartfelt thanks
to the US government for gifting the state-of-the-art ventilators to assist
India's fight against COVID-19.
This life-saving resource will benefit critically ill
patients immensely during this pandemic, the IRCS said.
The first tranche of
ventilators to support India in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic arrived
in the country on Monday, the USAID said.
These high-quality machines
have been produced by Massachusetts-based Zoll Medical Corporation to respond
to India's needs in this time of crisis, it said.
"Great to see that
this 1st shipment of 100 USAID-funded ventilators produced by @MedicalZoll has
reached India, another country hit hard by COVID-19. @usaid_india is working
with the Indian
government to see that these ventilators reach those in need," acting USAID Administrator John Barsa tweeted.
government to see that these ventilators reach those in need," acting USAID Administrator John Barsa tweeted.
An American official had
said last month that the US government is planning to "donate" 200
ventilators to India as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in
the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The USAID has announced USD
5.9 million in funding for India to combat COVID-19, including USD 2.9 million
to help the country provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public
health messages
to communities, strengthen case finding, contact tracing and surveillance, a USAID official had said last month at a briefing organised by the US Embassy in Delhi.
to communities, strengthen case finding, contact tracing and surveillance, a USAID official had said last month at a briefing organised by the US Embassy in Delhi.
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