Hundreds of ventilators and oxygen concentrators to be sent to India from Wales

Medical equipment is to be sent from Wales to support the international emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic in India, it has been announced.

The Welsh Government and NHS Wales are providing around 600 oxygen concentrators and more than 300 ventilators which are due to leave for India in the coming days.

India has been hit by a large second wave of the virus – with more than 400,000 cases recorded on several days in the last week alone.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething and Chair of the Wales branch of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Professor Keshav Singhal visited the NHS Wales National Distribution Centre on Monday (10 May) to inspect the supplies.

Mr Gething said: “Covid-19 is a global threat and as such it is right that we are part of the global response, supporting other nations.

“We have worked closely with the UK Government and the Government of India on the logistics in arranging for these supplies to be transported to India and distributed to the hospitals where they are needed most.”

Flights are being arranged by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.