New Delhi: The United States of America, which has announced to donate 200 ventilators to India, would be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 machines next week. President Donald Trump said this during his phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday.
The decision to donate 200 ventilators was taken by the US administration last month when President Trump said “we are working closely with India” to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US is also sending ventilators to other countries around the world.
“The two leaders (Trump and Modi) discussed the G7, the COVID-19 response, and regional security issues (Tuesday). The President was happy to announce that the United States would be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week,” said a White House pool report.
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Ventilators part of $3 mn USAID aid
The US will be distributing the repurposed ventilators in India through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a $3 million aid towards America’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
The original plan was to send the first tranche of 100 ventilators to India in May and the remaining 100 in June.
According to the USAID, the ventilators are being donated to India to provide support to fight the pandemic, and not because New Delhi sent hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to the US at the peak of the crisis in April.
In a tweet, Trump said last month the US stands with India and Prime Minister Modi during the pandemic.
“I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. We’re also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy,” the US President said in a tweet.
I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. We’re also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2020
India needs 75,000 ventilators to fight the pandemic. Earlier this month, the government had said it has 19,398 ventilators, while orders have been placed for 60,884 more.
The USAID has, so far, provided $5.9 million in aid to India, exclusively for combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
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