Oxygen Supplies, Healthcare Workers, Vaccine Doses: US Comes To Covid-Hit India's Aid

The US is exploring options to provide oxygen and related supplies -- something India has specifically requested for. This includes transport, generation, container, and supply chain logistics. The US State Department is working to finalise options for contracting oxygen, including cylinders, officials said. "We also have the Department of Defense exploring the provision of field oxygen generation systems, which we've used in our own field hospitals to provide oxygen for 50 to 100 beds," an official said.

Technical discussions are on to ensure that the equipment supplied by the US will connect to devices in India. "We're also going to be providing training associated with all of these requests as needed," the official said.

The US has identified commercial suppliers of remdesivir to bring immediate relief to COVID-19 patients in India. Officials have also zeroed in on rapid diagnostic testing supplies and PPE that could be transferred to India immediately. The official also referred to facilitating India's own access to those supplies through US-based sources.

Significantly, the much-anticipated transfer of AstraZeneca vaccines will also happen, though not immediately. This vaccine is identical to India's Covishield, which is at the moment in short supply across the country.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will, however, have to confirm that AstraZeneca's doses clear quality requirements. "Approximately 10 million doses...could be released if and when FDA...gives its concurrence," officials said. An estimated 50 million doses more are in various stages of production, they said.

On Sunday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had confirmed to his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, that the US will "immediately" make available the raw materials needed for Covishield's manufacture in India.  

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working with USAID, will deploy a strike team to India which will include public health experts to work in close collaboration with the US Embassy in New Delhi, central and state health ministries and experts, and with India's Epidemic Intelligence Service staff.

That strike team will work in areas such as laboratory services, surveillance and epidemiology, bioinformatics for sequencing and modeling of the disease, infection, prevention, and control, vaccines rollout, and risk communication.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden had said: "Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need."

India today logged over 3.23 lakh new Covid cases, 8.4% less than yesterday, and 2,771 deaths in the past 24 hours. Several nations, including the US, have pledged help as India grapples with severe shortage of oxygen supply and essential medicines.