India turns down US proposal to send Covid 'Strike Team'

New Delhi : India has turned down the US proposal to send a Covid-19 'Strike Team', which would have constituted members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service apart from others, saying New Delhi had never sought one. India said all and any such collaboration will be undertaken through a virtual medium, according to ThePrint report.

"There is no so-called American 'strike team' in India or on its way. India is fine with technical personnel who are coming in for assistance of certain equipment being sent in from abroad as they have different operating systems and are not a pure plug-and-play technology.

It needs to be made compatible to the India system and the Indian operators need to be trained." While the US had initially planned to send in over a dozen battlefield oxygen generators, sources in the Indian government said there are compatibility issues and hence smaller-sized systems are being brought in.

Meanwhile, Germany has already stationed 12 of its armed forces paramedics in India to help train an Indian team to operate a large system being brought on board two aircraft, capable of generating 4,00,000 litres of oxygen a day.

"There are some other technical teams, which have come in or will come in later. They will train, help set up and leave," the source quoted above said.

Warships carrying oxygen, aid, head to India

Meanwhile, Indian Navy warship INS Talwar arrived in New Mangalore with the1st consignment carrying 50 tons of oxygen from Bahrain. INS Airavat from Singapore and INS Kolkata from Kuwait coming back home with Liquid Oxygen, Oxygen filled cylinders, cryogenic tanks and medical equipment.

As part of Operation Samudra Setu II, to bring in oxygen and associated medical supplies from friendly foreign countries, as many as 9 warships have been diverted to various ports in region extending from Kuwait in the West to Singapore in the East, says, Navy Deputy Chief Vice Admiral MS Pawar.

A newly created global task force of CEOs of 40 top American companies on Wednesday announced an effort to provide massive COVID-19 emergency relief material, including 1,000 ventilators and 25,000 oxygen concentrators, to India in its fight against the coronavirus.

Medical assistance is continuing to pour in from countries around the world, including the US, Singapore and Australia.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that 81000 vials of Remdesivir from the US arrived early on Wednesday morning in Mumbai.

"Further elevating the India and United States Strategic Partnership. Appreciate the shipment of over 81,000 vials of Remdesivir from the US that arrived early this morning in Mumbai (India)," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

Besides the US, 3,650 oxygen cylinders and 8 ISO tanks are on their way from Singapore."3,650 oxygen cylinders, 8 ISO tanks and much more-tremendous effort by Indian community and well-wishers of India to mobilise COVID-relief assistance from Singapore," High Commission in Singapore tweeted.