The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday asserted that it has responded promptly to requests for deployment of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics outside India to deal with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. These RRTs have so far been deployed in Maldives and Kuwait at the request of their governments.
The RRTs have helped to train and exchange best practices with local medical professionals on various aspects of dealing with the pandemic. They have provided training on testing, critical care nursing, oxygen therapy isolation systems, infection prevention, etc.
The MEA also stated that the COVID-19 Control Room has remained very active with more than 10,000 calls and 30,000 e-mails received till date. "You would recall that this Control Room was set up as part of the Covid Cell and has been manned 24x7 by teams from within the Ministry since March 16. I can tell you that many of our youngest officers have been deployed in the Covid Cell and they have been working tirelessly with exemplary dedication as we respond to the situation."
The MEA has played an important role in helping with the evacuation of foreign nationals from different countries despite the challenge of logistics during the lockdown period. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that 60,000 foreign nationals from 72 countries have been evacuated and sent to their respective countries during the lockdown.
India has also been providing regular updates and assessment on best practices, breakthroughs in research, supply-chain issues, etc. which have informed our responses and management of the situation. "Our supplies to other countries of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and other essential medicines produced in India are ongoing. These supplies are taking place both as humanitarian aid as well as on a commercial basis. Even in these challenging times, we have remained responsible for living up to our international commitments which have enhanced our reputation of being the pharmacy to the world," said Srivastava.
"In terms of numbers, we have already provided 2.8 million HCQ tablets as grant assistance to 25 countries. We have also provided paracetamol, about 1.9 million tablets as well as in another form to 31 countries. In addition, consignments of HCQ and of paracetamol are being sent to 87 countries on a commercial basis," he added.
