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Combating coronavirus: UAE, India exchange aid and medics in war on Covid-19

The UAE aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals in India as they work to combat the virus.

The UAE and India are extending a helping hand to each other in the fight against the deadly coronavirus that has so far claimed more than 240,500 lives worldwide.
The UAE on Saturday, May 2, sent an aid plane containing seven metric tonnes of medical supplies to India to help in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 while India has reciprocated by sending a team of 88 medics to the UAE.
The UAE aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals in India as they work to combat the virus.
Commenting on the aid delivery, Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, UAE Ambassador to India, said, "The UAE is committed to extending critical support to nations seeking to bolster their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The UAE assistance to India comes in recognition of the profound and brotherly ties our two countries have shared throughout the years."
"Combating Covid-19 has become a primary global concern, and we act out of our conviction that strengthening the efforts of other countries to contain the virus is a pressing necessity," he added.
To date, the UAE has provided more than 348 metric tonnes of aid to over 34 countries, supporting nearly 348,000 medical professionals in the process.
Meanwhile, the UAE embassy in India's capital New Delhi confirmed that India has allowed the first batch of medics to fly to UAE despite the ongoing lockdown and freeze on air travel.
"This reflects the special importance the Indian government attaches to bilateral relations between two countries," tweeted the UAE embassy.
The first batch of Indian healthcare professionals includes 88 specialist doctors and nurses who are on their way to the UAE.
"I am very pleased that this is happening. This is another example of how our two countries continue to work closely in all spheres and at all levels," Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pawan Kapoor told Khaleej Times.
Khaleej Times had earlier reported that the UAE had requested India to send healthcare workers on UAE visas who are currently in India to be sent back.
"They have requested us to send back doctors and nurses who were working in Dubai hospitals and are now vacationing in India. The government of India is seriously considering the request," the Indian envoy had said.
India has recently sent a 15-member rapid response team to Kuwait. Other Gulf countries have also requested India to help in their treatment for coronavirus. Indian media reported that "an in-principle decision to allow retired military doctors, nurses, and technicians to travel to UAE and Kuwait to begin with."
Earlier this month, India sent a batch of 5.5 million hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets, a drug found to be efficient in fighting Covid-19, to the UAE. This was the first batch in the over 30 million pills that India has promised to supply the UAE.
"We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Indian government in facilitating the procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals," the UAE Embassy in New Delhi had tweeted April 18.
Kapoor said India is fast-tracking a UAE request to supply 30 million HCQ tablets to help UAE curb the spread of coronavirus.
The first batch of Indian healthcare professionals includes 88 specialist doctors and nurses who are on their way to the UAE.
"I am very pleased that this is happening. This is another example of how our two countries continue to work closely in all spheres and at all levels," Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pawan Kapoor told Khaleej Times.
Khaleej Times had earlier reported that the UAE had requested India to send healthcare workers on UAE visas who are currently in India to be sent back.
"They have requested us to send back doctors and nurses who were working in Dubai hospitals and are now vacationing in India. The government of India is seriously considering the request," the Indian envoy had said.
India has recently sent a 15-member rapid response team to Kuwait. Other Gulf countries have also requested India to help in their treatment for coronavirus. Indian media reported that "an in-principle decision to allow retired military doctors, nurses, and technicians to travel to UAE and Kuwait to begin with."
Earlier this month, India sent a batch of 5.5 million hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets, a drug found to be efficient in fighting Covid-19, to the UAE. This was the first batch in the over 30 million pills that India has promised to supply the UAE.
"We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Indian government in facilitating the procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals," the UAE Embassy in New Delhi had tweeted April 18.
Kapoor said India is fast-tracking a UAE request to supply 30 million HCQ tablets to help UAE curb the spread of coronavirus.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com