Determined to help India during COVID crisis: Kamala Harris confirms further US aid

United States Vice President Kamala Harris, on Friday, said
that the United States was prepared to help India ‘in its hour of need’, stating
that in addition to medical supplies already flown into the country, further
supplies were on their way, reported news agency ANI.

Harris highlighted that India had sent aid to the US when
the nation was going through a difficult period, and said US will
be returning the favour.

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“At the beginning of the pandemic, when our hospital beds
were stretched, India sent assistance. Today, we’re determined to help India in
its hour of need. We do this as friends of India, as members of Asian Quad
& as part of the global community”, Harris was quoted by ANI as saying.

“Already, we’ve delivered refillable oxygen cylinders, with
more to come. We’ve delivered oxygen concentrators, with more to come. We’ve
delivered N95 masks, and have more ready to send. We have delivered doses of
Remdesivir to treat COVID patients”, she was further quoted as saying.

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Noting that the rapid spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in
India was ‘nothing short of heartbreaking’, Harris said that the Biden
administration took necessary steps ‘as soon as the dire nature of the situation
became apparent’.

So far, multiples shipments carrying oxygen cylinders,
oxygen concentrators, masks and raw material required to prepare vaccine doses,
among other things, have been sent by the United States to India.