During COVID-19 second wave, over 52 countries helped India: Centre

`Foreign materials from 52 countries have been received till date including from government to government, private to government, private to private, Indian community associations and companies,` V Muraleedharan said.

New Delhi: As India reeled under the second wave of COVID-19 the international community came forward with offers of solidarity and assistance for specific medicines and equipment. The Centre in Rajya Sabha on Thursday (July 29, 2021) revealed that the materials were received from over 52 countries till date. 

The statement was made by V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs in form of a written reply. In his reply, Muraleedharan revealed that the country has imported 31.5 lakh units of Sputnik Component 1 and 4.5 lakh units of Sputnik Component 2 vaccine till date.

"During the unprecedented crisis of the second wave of COVID pandemic, the International community came forward with offers of solidarity and assistance for specific medicines and equipment that weren’t immediately available in-country till such time our own domestic production improved," he said.

"Foreign materials from 52 countries have been received till date including from government to government, private to government, private to private, Indian community associations and companies," he added.

The Minister of State for External Affairs also said that the donations were cleared through the Inter-Ministerial Committee that includes representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Niti Aayog, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

(With ANI inputs)