PM Modi tasks envoys to look for foreign sources for procuring medical equipment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked New Delhi’s envoys in some of the foreign nations to look for sources to procure medical equipment to support India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, apart from mobilizing donation for the newly-launched PM-Cares fund.

He also asked the High Commissioners and Ambassadors of India posted in 10 foreign capitals to focus on ensuring that international commerce in essential supplies, logistics chain and remittance inflow remain unaffected during the COVID-19 crisis and the curbs imposed in the country and around the world to contain the pandemic.

The Prime Minister had a video-conference with the Heads of India’s diplomatic missions in China, United States, Iran, Italy, Germany, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Maldives, and South Korea. He asked them to focus on five specific areas.

He noted that extraordinary times required extraordinary solutions, which was why most of the world had quarantined itself even in the era of globalization. “This was an unavoidable step taken to fight this pandemic, but it was also hugely consequential, as the closure of the globalized system has had an extensive and far-reaching impact upon the international transport system, financial markets and the global economy,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated quoting him telling New Delhi’s envoys to 10 foreign capitals.

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He asked them “to stay alert and identify” in the foreign countries, where they were posted in, the “best practices, innovations, scientific breakthroughs and sources to procure medical equipment” to support India’s fight against COVID-19.

As it is preparing to deal with the eventuality of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the coming days and weeks, New Delhi is trying to make up for the shortfall in the availability of the masks, gloves, coveralls and personal protection gears for the healthcare professionals, as well as of testing kits, ventilators and other medical equipment required for attending to the patients.

Modi also advised them to suitably publicize the newly-established PM-CARES Fund to mobilize donations from abroad.

He recently launched the PM-CARES fund to mobilize donations to support the efforts to deal with the COVID-19, which so far infected at least 1071 people and killed 29 in India.

Already over 630000 people fell sick around the world after being infected by the virus and over 30000 of them died, according to the latest report by the World Health Organization.

The Prime Minister on Monday asked New Delhi’s envoys to foreign capitals to continue to pay close attention to the evolving international political and economic situation, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also advised them to ensure their own health and safety, and that of their teams and families apart from attending to Indians, who remain in various foreign countries, given the uncertainty of continuing international travel restrictions.