Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed: India has UAE's support as the country battles second wave

UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation pledges support in call to India’s foreign minister

A woman takes care of her husband who has Covid-19 as they wait outside the casualty ward at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, in New Delhi, India. Reuters 

Family members mourn after a man is declared dead amid a surge in coronavirus cases in India. Reuters

A patient with breathing problems is seen inside a car while waiting to enter a hospital for treatment, amid the spread of the coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

India’s second Covid-19 wave is devastating, with more than new 200,000 coronavirus cases recorded each day. Reuters 

Dr Rajesh Bhagchandani, centre, a director at Apex hospital in Bhopal city, intubates a patient. He feels helpless that the hospital, which is now reserved for critically ill Covid-19 patients, cannot accommodate more people who require oxygen. Dr Rajesh Bhagchandani

Dr Himanshu Dewan, director of critical care at QRG hospital in Faridabad, a town near India’s capital New Delhi, says the number of deaths will climb because patients do not have access to treatment. Dr Himanshu Dewan

A health worker arranges oxygen cylinders that are being used for Covid-19 coronavirus patients at a private hospital in Allahabad. AFP

Dr Himanshu Dewan, director of critical care at QRG hospital in Faridabad, a town near India’s capital New Delhi, is acutely aware a patient could die on the road if turned by hospitals that cannot admit more Covid-19 cases . Courtesy: Dr Himanshu Dewan

A man carries an empty oxygen cylinder to get it refilled at a private refilling station, for his relative who is suffering from the coronavirus disease, in New Delhi. Reuters

Patients with breathing problems are seen inside an ambulance waiting to enter a Covid-19 hospital for treatment in Ahmedabad. Reuters

A health worker collects a nasal swab sample from a woman in Amritsar. AFP

An Indian police officer distributes face masks in Hyderabad. AP Photo

A health worker administers the Covidshield vaccine at a government hospital in Hyderabad. AP Photo

People wearing masks wait to test for Covid-19 at a hospital in Hyderabad. AP Photo

A health worker takes a mouth swab sample at a hospital in Hyderabad. AP Photo

Nuns wait to take a test for Covid-19 at a test center in Kolkata, Eastern India. EPA

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said India had the UAE's support as the country battled a brutal second wave of Covid-19.

He also "expressed the UAE's keenness to dedicate all resources" to help during a phone call with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs.

Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE stood in solidarity with India and supported all its measures to contain the virus.

Sheikh Abdullah shared his condolences for those who died in the pandemic and expressed his wishes for the health and wellness of the nation, state news agency Wam reported.

He said co-operation was fundamental to overcoming the fallout from the pandemic, which affected the whole world.

Mr Jaishankar said he "appreciated the call" from Sheikh Abdullah.

India set a global daily record for new infections for a fifth straight day on Monday.

The 352,991 new cases over the past day brought India’s total to more than 17 million.

Another 2,812 deaths were confirmed, pushing India’s Covid-19 fatalities to 195,123.

Both tallies are believed to be an undercount because of limited testing.

UAE landmarks light up in support of India - in pictures