Just days after U.S. President Joe Biden assured India of help with medical supplies to combat the dire COVID-19 crisis caused by the second wave of coronavirus in the country, a shipment of emergency relief from the US arrived in New Delhi on Friday.
President Biden on Tuesday had noted that the U.S. was rushing a whole series of help to India.
"I spoke at length with Prime Minister Modi. We are sending immediately a whole series of help that it needs, including providing remdesivir & other drugs that can deal with disease and help recovery," Biden said.
U.S. is one among the many countries that have pledged support to help India meet its growing demand for resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had announced a 10-million-dollar package to assist the country in tackling the virus spread while Bitain confirmed that 400 oxygen concentrators would be sent to India.
The U.S. Embassy in India took to Twitter to share that its first emergency COVID-19 relief shipment had arrived in India.
The embassy added that the United States stands with India as the country fights the pandemic together.
Following the dispatch of the shipment to India, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) informed PTI that more help is on the way.
A USAID official said that the Biden administration is working to expand the oxygen supply chain in India which is reeling from the "extreme burden on the hospital system."
Meanwhile, Delhi Customs facilitated the "swift clearance of COVID material" received from America.
According to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, the shipment reportedly included 200 Size D oxygen cylinders with regulators, 223 Size H oxygen cylinders with regulators, 210 pulse oximeters, 184,000 Abbott Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits and 84,000 N-95 face masks.
Meanwhile, India recorded 3,86,452 new coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours, the highest single-day rise so far, pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,87,62,976, while active cases crossed the 31-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
(With inputs from PTI)