Several US lawmakers have expressed concern over the sudden spike in COVID-19 instances in India and have urged the Biden administration to offer all needed assist to the nation.
“We have the resources to help, and other people need it; that makes it our moral obligation to do so,” Democratic Senator Edward Markey mentioned in a tweet.
India is reporting the world’s highest ever single-day coronavirus instances, he added.
“Earth Day is about the health of the planet and everyone and everything on it. The US has more than enough vaccines for every American, but we are denying countries like India desperately needed support,” Markey mentioned.
Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, mentioned he was involved in regards to the scenario in India.
“Sending my thoughts and support to our friends in India fighting this terrible second wave of the COVID19 pandemic,” he mentioned Congresswoman Haley Stevens mentioned that her ideas are with the individuals of India throughout this devastating COVID-19 surge.
“I am praying for the families experiencing unbelievable suffering right now and am urging coordination among the international community to help where possible to stop this horrific outbreak,” Stevens mentioned.
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna, whereas sharing a tweet from eminent public well being skilled Ashish Okay Jha, mentioned, “India is in the throes of a horrendous COVID surge. Horrendous. They are struggling to get more people vaccinated.” “We are sitting on 35-40 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine Americans will never use. Can we please give or lend them to India? Like may be now? It’ll help. A lot,” Jha had mentioned.
A deadly, fast-paced second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has introduced India’s well being care techniques to the snapping point and is placing tens of millions of lives and livelihoods in danger, wrote Ramanan Laxminarayan, an economist and epidemiologist, in The New York Times.
According to The Wall Street Journal, hospitals in New Delhi and different hard-hit cities have been turning away sufferers and operating low on oxygen, beds and different medical provides.
Several Indian-American teams have began elevating funds to urgently airlift medical provides together with oxygen to assist India in its combat towards coronavirus.
“This is truly a humanitarian crisis of apocalyptic proportions which needs immediate response,” wrote Indian-American Mike Sikand, chairman Oceanport Democratic Committee in New Jersey to Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Therefore, I urge you to take whatever steps you can take in your capacity as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to help India in its hour of need. One such step could be sending emergency respiratory supplies to India. Which could use oxygen equipment, ventilators, etc,” he mentioned.
“Another step that you could take is to help increase hospital bed capacity in India by providing equipment and financial assistance to set up makeshift hospitals or even sending USS Mercy to help India deal with this crisis,” Sikand mentioned within the letter to Menendez.
