COVID-19: US hands over first batch of 100 ventilators to India

PTI, Jun 16, 2020, 1:56 PM IST

New Delhi: US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Tuesday handed over the first tranche of 100 ventilators to India to assist in the country’s fight against COVID-19, the Indian Red Cross Society said.

President Donald Trump had announced in May that the US will donate ventilators to India to treat COVID-19 patients and help it fight the “invisible enemy”.

Indian Red Cross Society Secretary General R K Jain accepted the first tranche of the US Agency for International Development-funded ventilators from Ambassador Juster at the IRCS national headquarters.

The Indian Red Cross said it extends its heartfelt thanks to the US government for gifting the state-of-the-art ventilators to assist India’s fight against COVID-19.

This life-saving resource will benefit critically ill patients immensely during this pandemic, the IRCS said.

“The first tranche of ventilators to support India in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the country on Monday,” the USAID said.

“These high-quality machines have been produced by Massachusetts-based Zoll Medical Corporation to respond to India’s needs in this time of crisis,” it said.

“Great to see that this 1st shipment of 100 USAID-funded ventilators produced by @MedicalZoll has reached India, another country hit hard by COVID-19. @usaid_india is working with the Indian government to see that these ventilators reach those in need,” acting USAID Administrator John Barsa tweeted.

An American official had said last month that the US government is planning to “donate” 200 ventilators to India as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The USAID has announced USD 5.9 million in funding for India to combat COVID-19, including USD 2.9 million to help the country provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public health messages to communities, strengthen case finding, contact tracing, and surveillance, a USAID official had said last month at a briefing organized by the US Embassy here.