Coronavirus: Medical supplies from UAE arrive in India

Equipment including ventilators was donated as deadly second wave hits

The Indian Air Force transported oxygen containers from Dubai to India for use in hospitals. PTI

Shipment of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies arrived from Russia to India, Thursday, April 29, 2021. Indian External Affairs Ministry/AP

Employees prepare supplies in the control center at the Goregaon NESCO jumbo Covid centre in the Goregaon suburb of Mumbai, India. Bloomberg

Part of the oxygen cylinder consignment being loaded into a Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 aircraft to be sent to West Bengal, India to support the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA/Singapore's Ministry of Defence

A medical oxygen tanker is delivered via the 'Oxygen Express' train at Delhi Cantt railway station in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Bloomberg

A shipment of vital medical supplies from the United Kingdom arrives in New Delhi, India April 27, 2021. REUTERS

Medical supplies sent from the UAE to India to help it fight the coronavirus arrived on Friday.

Equipment included 157 ventilators and 480 bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPap) machines used to ease breathing difficulties.

Arindan Bagchi, spokesperson from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, announced that the equipment had made it to country as they continue to fight a deadly second wave of the pandemic.

Mr Bagchi said the gesture would “take forward our warm, close and multifaceted relations”.

India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, thanked Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, for his solidarity at this time.

“As always, we deeply value his good wishes and co-operation,” Mr Jaishankar said.

The medical supplies arrived after the two officials had a telephone conversation on April 25 in which Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed expressed full solidarity with India.

The crisis enveloping India currently shows no signs of abating. It reported 3,645 new deaths on Thursday, the country’s deadliest day so far.

Positive tests hit 300,000 a day for the past week. Infections since the start of the pandemic exceed 18 million and more than 204,000 Covid-19 deaths have been reported.

As hospitals in India struggle to cope with streams of patients in need of beds and oxygen, aid from around the world has poured in.

The UAE, the US, the UK, the EU and India’s regional rival Pakistan all offered medical aid and assistance.