Washington, DC – The United States is committed to aiding India in its fight against the ongoing COVID epidemic which is increasing at exponential levels, but there is no mechanism to monitor the distribution in India.
There is a wave of medical and other essential supplies from other countries including the US landing in India, but there is no accountability in the distribution system.
Answering a question from IAT on fears of misappropriation of supplies and not reaching the masses, Jalina Porter, Principal Deputy Spokesperson said, “As far as a specific website when it comes to tracking, we have nothing to read out or announce at this time, but assuring that “the United States is committed to making sure that our partners in India are taken care of in this crisis.”
In her reply, Porter said, “… help is there right now and additional help is on the way, and obviously that would include an array of supplies, including our oxygen – oxygen cylinders, regulators, and pulse oximeters, as well as N95 masks to make sure that we’re protecting India’s frontline health care workers.”
Earlier doubts were raised about the proper distribution of foreign aid, especially from the US, arriving in India. Even with the medical supplies, including much needed oxygen arriving in bulk from various countries and organizations, there was still widespread scarcity even in the capital Delhi.
The tsunami of COVID cases has thrown the Indian health system into the throes of a catastrophic situation in which hospitals are overflowing, and medical supplies including vital oxygen are running out.
According to reports from our reporter on the ground there, in one day on Wednesday (April 28), India recorded 360,000 new COVID cases and 3,000 deaths in a 24-hour span.
Tejinder Singh, Editor, India America Today & White House Correspondent