TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As India's second COVID-19 wave has led to a desperate shortage of medical supplies, Taiwan announced Thursday (April 29) that it will be sending 150 oxygen concentrators to India this weekend.

Earlier this month, a catastrophic second wave of COVID-19 infections began in India, with daily new cases reaching 360,000 on Wednesday (April 28), according to India's Health Ministry. Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that as soon as Taiwan was aware of the gravity of the situation in the South Asian country, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) offered support to Gourangalal Das, director-general of the India Taipei Association.

She said the ministry had asked Taiwan's representative office in India to assess what medical supplies were needed and worked with Taiwanese medical institutions and manufacturers to expedite the swift delivery of equipment. During a legislative interpellation session on Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Miguel Li-jey Tsao (曹立傑) said Taiwan will airlift oxygen concentrators to India at some point before Sunday.

He described the shipment as the "first batch" and said they will be sent via national carrier China Airlines. During a press conference Thursday morning (April 29), Ou stated that Taiwan will send 150 oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies this weekend to "meet India's urgent medical and healthcare needs."

Ou pledged that Taiwan will continue to send more relief in the coming weeks. "Taiwanese and Indian friends stand together in coping with the pandemic, and [Taiwan] hopes that India will be able to overcome these difficulties as swiftly as possible," she stated.