India is also the first country in the world to report more than 300,000 new cases in a single day prior April 22.
KATHMANDU, APRIL 25
With the emergence of the second wave of Covid-19 in India, the country's healthcare system has come close to a collapse as thousands of its severely infected citizens struggle for access to hospital beds and oxygen supplies.
India set another record for daily infections with more than 331,000 new cases and as many as 2,624 Covid-related fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to over 16 million, according to the country's Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With the accession of record breaking daily cases, it became the first country in the world to report more than 300,000 new cases in a single day prior April 22.
In the same line, daily worldwide record of more than 893,000 Covid-19 cases was logged Sunday, according to new agency AFP.
Amid India's deadlier new wave of infections, it is witnessing an unprecedented crisis where patients are dying because of a shortage of oxygen, hospital beds and medicines while crematoriums have run out of space.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the situation in India was a "devastating reminder" of what the coronavirus could do.
Factors like government negligence including Indian PM boasting about the size of a crowd at his rally, millions of pilgrims gatherings at Kumbh Mela festival earlier this month when the second surge was already underway, and rise of new infectious variants are drowning the country under a surge of cases that has made it the world's second worst-hit country,
On Friday, Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pleaded for oxygen supplies on live TV.
"All of the country's oxygen plants should immediately be taken over by the government through the army," he event went on to say.
I am writing to all CMs requesting them to provide oxygen to Delhi, if they have spare. Though Central govt. is also helping us, the severity of corona is such that all available resources are proving inadequate.
- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 24, 2021
Meanwhile, in an act of unprecedented solidarity, Pakistani social media users urged their Prime Minister Imran Khan to help India fight the ongoing oxygen crisis. He, later, expressed solidarity with in India over Covid-19 situation, saying "we must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together".
Hashtags like #IndiaNeedsOxygen were trending on Pakistani Twitter. It is to be noted that the two countries have been 'at odds' with each other since the formation of Pakistan in 1947, till date.
I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together
- Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 24, 2021
Likewise, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after facing all-round pressure to respond to the matter, said the US will "rapidly deploy additional support" to help India overcome this crisis that is claiming many lives on the daily basis.
Our hearts go out to the Indian people in the midst of the horrific COVID-19 outbreak. We are working closely with our partners in the Indian government, and we will rapidly deploy additional support to the people of India and India's health care heroes.
- Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 25, 2021
According to a report on Reuters, the government has also urged Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson to sell their shots to India. "After donating and selling tens of millions vaccine doses abroad, India has suddenly found itself short of vaccines", the report read.
Chief executive of the Serum Institute of India (SII), one of vaccine manufacturers, urged to US President to end restrictions on the export of raw materials required for the vaccine.
Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up. Your administration has the details.
- Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) April 16, 2021
India, country with the world's second biggest population, in its 'Vaccine Maitri programme', a humanitarian initiative undertaken by the Indian government, have provided COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world,
All adults in India will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines from May 1. Currently, only people above 45 years of age are eligible to get the jab.
Compiled by Madhavi Marasini
