Technology
Amazon Transports Medical Equipment to Indian Hospitals Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Amazon has joined hands with ACT Grants, Temasek Foundation, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR), and other partners to provide over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines to hospitals in India, the company has announced. The medical equipment, which is being airlifted from Singapore, will be donated to hospitals and public institutions to increase their capacity to help patients infected with COVID-19. Apart from the transportation, Amazon India said that will also procure over 1,500 oxygen concentrators under its Mission Vayu. India last recorded over 300,000 COVID-19 cases in a day, which is the highest in the world.
As per a blog post by Amazon, it is partnering with multiple non-profit organisations like Swasth, Concern India, ACT Grants, and Sattva Consulting to urgently get the required medical equipment in India. The company said that it will bear the cost of airlifting oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines from Singapore through Air India and other international carriers. After getting them to India, the machines will be transported to identified hospitals and institutions. The company says that a majority of the shipping is expected to be completed by April 30.
“We stand firmly with the country, deploying our global logistics network to urgently airlift the needed oxygen concentrators to support the nation’s immediate need,” said Amit Agarwal, Global SVP and Country Head, Amazon India. Additionally, Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services said in a tweet that Amazon teams are using their global and India-wide operations network to transport medical supplies and that “more help is on the way”.
The news comes a day after technology giants like Google and Microsoft announced that they will be helping with COVID-19 relief efforts in India. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadela said the company will use its resources and technology to aid relief efforts. Google CEO Sundar Pichai apprised about providing assistance of Rs. 135 crore to Give India and UNICEF for medical supplies, and other organisations supporting communities. Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin has also donated Rs. 4.5 crores for COVID-19 relief in India. While Xiaomi announced that it will donate Rs. 3 crore for oxygen cylinders, OnePlus said it will help amplify COVID-19 emergencies through its social media reach.
