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A meeting of the Empowered Group set up by the Prime Minister to look after distribution of material aid received from abroad was held on Thursday that discussed ways and means of expediting the distribution.
Additional Secretary, Health Ministry, informed that distribution plans of material received from abroad are already in place by the time it lands in India.
In the meeting, it was informed that they will come to know when the relief material leaves the offshores (from various countries) after which the information is sent to Health Ministry that will work out the distribution plan.
The global community has extended a helping hand in supporting efforts of India in this collective fight against Covid-19, a government statement said.
Govt finds it tough to distribute Covid relief material
The government has been receiving international donations and aid of Covid-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries/organisations.
It informed that 1,841 Oxygen Concentrators; 1,814 Oxygen Cylinders; 9 Oxygen Generation Plants; 2,403 ventilators/ Bi PAP/ C PAP; more than 2.8 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered, so far.
Major items received on May 5 include 1,056 Ventilator/ Bi PAP/ C PAP and 43 Oxygen Concentrator from Australia; 40,300 RDK, around 1.56 lakh Remdesivir, PPE kits and additional other items from the US and two Liquid Oxygen Container from Bahrain.
All items received up to May 5 have been effectively allocated and promptly dispatched to the States/ institutions, it said adding that this is an ongoing exercise.
Covid-19 relief materials received from abroad to get IGST waiver
The government continues to be at the forefront of this fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in collaboration with the States and Union Territories (UTs) and with the support of its citizens under a “whole of society” approach, the statement said.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant in which Union Secretary (I&B) Amit Khare, Union Secretary (Expenditure) T V Somanathan, Additional Secretary (MEA) Dammu Ravi and Additional Secretary (H) Arti Ahuja.
Coordination cell
The government has also designed a streamlined and systematic mechanism for effective allocation and distribution of the support supplies received by India. A dedicated Coordination Cell has also been created in the Health Ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign Covid relief material as grants, aid and donations.
This cell started functioning from April 26. A Standard Operating Procedure has been framed and implemented by the Health Ministry since May 2.
The cargo clearance and deliveries are facilitated without delay in coordination with various agencies. This is being comprehensively monitored by the Health Ministry on a regular basis, it added.
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