Supplies pour into India as virus rages

Sorely needed medical supplies poured into India on Tuesday as overrun hospitals turned away patients due to a shortage of beds and oxygen supplies as a sharp surge of infections pushed the COVID-19 death toll in the country toward 200,000.

On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka said on social media that 800 oxygen concentrators had been airlifted from Hong Kong to Delhi, and 10,000 more will be provided in a week. "China is keeping in touch with India for urgent needs. Stay strong," it said.

The Chinese embassy in India said the Chinese government and people firmly support the Indian government and people in fighting the pandemic.

"We will encourage and guide Chinese companies to actively cooperate with India to facilitate acquiring medical supplies, and provide support and help according to India's need," said Counselor Wang Xiaojian, an embassy spokesman.

"The pandemic is an enemy of all mankind that necessitates international solidarity and mutual assistance," Wang said. "China expresses sincere sympathies for the recent severe epidemic situation in India."

Indian Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos on Tuesday of the "first shipment "of medical aid India received from Britain. It included 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators.

Other nations like Russia, Germany, Israel, France and Pakistan have also promised medical aid to India.

The first "Oxygen Express" train for Delhi carrying around 70 tons of the lifesaving gas from the eastern state of Chhattisgarh also reached the national capital early on Tuesday.

But the crisis in the metropolis of 20 million people, the epicenter of the latest wave of infections, raged unabated.

Scarcity of oxygen

K Preetham, chief of medical administration at Delhi's Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, said the scarcity of oxygen was the main concern.

"For seven days, most of us haven't slept. Because of the scarcity, we are forced to put two patients on one cylinder and this is a time-consuming process because we don't have long tubes," he said.

Over the past 24 hours, India recorded 323,144 new cases, just below a worldwide peak of 352,991 it hit on Monday. The number of dead rose to 197,894.

India has called on its armed forces to help tackle the devastating crisis. Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat said late on Monday that oxygen would be released from armed forces reserves and retired medical personnel would join struggling health facilities.

In some of India's worst-hit cities, bodies were being cremated in makeshift facilities in parks and parking lots. Critically ill patients lay on beds outside overwhelmed hospitals waiting for admission.

India has been adding hospital beds by turning hotels, railway coaches and ashrams into critical care facilities. But experts warn the next crisis will be a shortage of doctors and nurses.

"Unfortunately beds do not treat patients－doctors, nurses and paramedics do," said Devi Shetty, a cardiac surgeon and chairman of the Narayana Health chain of hospitals.

Australia paused direct passenger flights from India until May 15, the latest in a growing list of countries to impose curbs to prevent more virulent virus variants from entering their borders.

India, home to around 1.3 billion people, has so far reported 17.64 million COVID-19 infections, but experts believe the tally runs significantly higher. It plans to open up vaccination to all adults from May 1.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.