US to send aid as coronavirus continues to devastate India

SFC (Join to see), I agree something must be done. However, in political wrangling the states forgot to dip into the Prime Minister's Covid-19 Relief Fund. There is also black marketing of cyroxygen cylinders. States became lackadaisical following the initial wave of the virus that preparedness for the second wave was seriously lacking. Oxygen is in short supply and so is the vaccine, as well as ventilator beds in hospitals that hospitals are turning Covid-19 patients away. The scene is pathetic and was preventable too. The Center, instead of focusing on political campaigns in the east, should have prepared for the worst of Covid-19. Many people have lost loved ones due to mismanagement and unpreparedness by authorities. Lastly, hoarding of vaccines till May 1st is taking place to capitalize on the increase in price to the consumer; Covishield increases by 500 rupees a shot and Covaxin shoots up from 250 rupees to 1200 rupees per shot. Imported vaccines will cost much more, since their logistics are far more expensive as well. What does the poor man do in these circumstances?

Another component is the design of India's universal health care system. State governments provide healthcare services and health education, while the central government offers administrative and technical services. Poorer states, like Bihar, often have less access to adequate healthcare than residents of relatively more affluent states. This disparity helps drive the corruption. More than likely the US will send billions in supplies to India's central health office. However betting most of it will end up in Goa and the surrounding states.

SPC David S., no quite. The U.S. will provide vaccine raw materials and India will produce it, but most will first reach BJP run states, like Utter Pradesh and Gujrat, and/or Haryana. In election states, the Central Government will provide to win the vote banks of the masses, just as they have done in Bengal, where the Center provided 20,000 rupees per household during the initial wave and has promised free grain to millions till August in this second wave; politics holds the aces at the cost of lives.

The town that I grew up in had a large, modern steel mill. BOF requires huge amounts of oxygen to operate. Air Products Corporation built and operated an Air Reduction plant that compressed air to liquid form, then separated the gasses by boiling them off. Most of the Oxygen went to that mill, but a lot was transported to hospitals in liquid form. Other gases were sold of for scientific and manufacturing. I don't think India has anything like this, but if thety did, it would be a huge help. Industrial oxygen is just as pure as medical grade, it is just delivered by different methods.

CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana - Yes unfortunately politics is at play I think on a global scale when it comes to addressing the pandemic. More or less what I was thinking but figured wealth in India was tied to the power of the ruling party in this case the Bharatiya Janata Party. I'm sure the $250 dollars was well received along with the grain. by those in Bengal. Its very similar to what is going on in the US with the stimulus checks with states getting a fair amount of the trillions being spent. The question here is how will the states spend it. Guessing it will be spent similar to that in India - placate the votes with cash/entitlements with lesser regard to addressing the pandemic.