More than 600 pieces of vital medical equipment will be sent to India to support the country in its fight against COVID-19, the British High Commission (BHC) announced on Sunday.
A BHC release informed that the assistance package, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, includes ventilators and oxygen concentrators from surplus stocks.
The aid will be used by the Government of India (GOI) to provide vital medical treatment to those suffering from COVID-19 in India, the release said.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the National Health Service (NHS), as well as suppliers and manufacturers in the UK to identify reserve life-saving equipment that can be sent to India.
India has this week reported its highest numbers of new daily cases and deaths since the pandemic began and is facing severe shortages of oxygen.
Following discussions with the GOI, the first shipment of equipment will leave the UK today, arriving in New Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Further shipments are due to follow later this week, the BHC said.