10,953 oxygen concentrators, 13,169 O2 cylinders and 4.9 lakh remdesivir vials delivered to states
Govt
New Delhi: A total of 10,953 oxygen concentrators, 13,169 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen-generation plants and 4.9 lakh remdesivir vials received as global aid were delivered or dispatched to various states and Union Territories from April 27 to May 13, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The major consignments received on May 13/14 from the US, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Oman, the UK and Japan include 157 oxygen concentrators, 900 oxygen cylinders and 338 ventilators/BiPAP/CPAP.
According to the ministry, 68,810 vials of remdesivir and 1,000 units of tocilizumab were also received from these countries on May 13/14.
Cumulatively, 10,953 oxygen concentrators, 13,169 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen-generation plants, 6,835 ventilators or BiPAP and about 4.9 lakh remdesivir vials have been delivered or dispatched through road and air from April 27 to May 13, it said.
"Effective immediate allocation, and streamlined delivery to the recipient states and union territories and institutions is an ongoing exercise," it said.
The Union Health Ministry is comprehensively monitoring this on a regular basis.
A dedicated coordination cell has been created in the 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, 2021.
The Government of India, at the forefront of the "whole of government" approach to combat the ongoing COVID-19, has been receiving international donations and aid of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries or organisations to augment its efforts in fighting the unprecedented surge of cases.
Through a streamlined and systematic mechanism, various ministries and departments of the Government of India have seamlessly collaborated for expeditiously delivering the incoming global aid to states and Union Territories, the ministry said.
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Rupee crashes 46 paise to 92.28 against US dollar in early trade, nears all-time low
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee plummeted 46 paise to near its all-time intra-day low of 92.28 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday as global crude oil prices shot up and the greenback strengthened amid the worsening situation in the Middle East.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by a staggering 25.68 per cent at USD 116.5 per barrel in futures trade as the war between US-Israel and Iran intensified.
A big surge in FII outflows and a crash at the domestic equity market in morning trade put further pressure in the local unit, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 92.22 against the US dollar before declining further to 92.28, down 46 paise from its previous close. The rupee had hit an all-time intra-day low of 92.35 on March 4.
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The rupee depreciated 18 paise against the US dollar on Friday to close at 91.82 against the American currency.
"The rupee will remain vulnerable to the rising oil prices which have risen by more than 28 per cent since the last closure on Friday. Asian currencies were also lower on Monday," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Rupee might touch 93.00 if oil remains above USD 100 in the coming trading sessions, he added.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.66 per cent higher at 99.64.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex crashed 2,345.89 points to 76,573.01 in early trade, while Nifty tumbled 708.75 points to 23,741.70.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 6,030.38 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, India's forex reserves jumped USD 4.885 billion to an all-time high of USD 728.494 billion during the week ended February 27, the Reserve Bank said on Friday.
