China Red Cross sends oxygen concentrators, ventilators

A first batch of oxygen concentrators and ventilators donated by the Red Cross Society of China arrived on Sunday on a cargo flight from China.

The consignment marks among the biggest donations of medical supplies so far from China, from where India has been purchasing a huge amount of supplies, including oxygen concentrators.

“The first batch of 100 oxygen concentrators, 40 ventilators and other anti-epidemic supplies donated by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) arrived in India today by Chinese cargo flight from Chengdu, China,” Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong said on Sunday. “[The] RCSC also decided to provide $1 million in cash assistance to the Indian Red Cross Society through International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to help India fight against COVID19,” he said.

India has said it is open to receiving assistance from civil society organisations and private companies in China, some of which is being sent to the Indian Red Cross Society. China’s government has also offered official assistance, conveyed on April 30 in a letter from President Xi Jinping to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in a phone call between the two Foreign Ministers on the same day.

Much of the critical imports of medical supplies have been coming in from China with a surge in orders from Indian companies. Since April, orders for at least 40,000 oxygen concentrators have been placed by Indian companies, of which 21,000 have so far been delivered, along with more than 5,000 ventilators, 21 million face masks and 3,800 tons of medicines, according to official Chinese customs figures. The Hindu