TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The first batch of medical aid Taiwan pledged to India is scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 11 a.m. on Sunday (May 2) as the South Asian country struggles to cope with a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The relief comprises 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders, with more promised. The supplies were deliverable within one week thanks to a coordinated effort by the health and economic ministries as well as local businesses, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The shipment will be handled by the Indian Red Cross Society, which collects and distributes international donations of medical supplies to those in need.
The fresh onslaught of COVID-19 in India underscores the importance of a joint global effort against a deadly disease, MOFA stressed, adding that Taiwan's humanitarian assistance demonstrates the country can and is willing to contribute to public health.
Most Taiwanese expats who were living and doing business in India have returned since the outbreak of the pandemic, with only about 100 remaining.
India recorded 400,000 cases on Saturday alone, breaking the world record for daily cases and bringing the country’s total to over 19 million. Reuters has revealed that the Indian government ignored warnings from the country’s scientific advisors in March that a contagious variant could wreak havoc, and it reportedly did not take adequate preventative action.
