US to urgently send Covishield raw material to help India battle COVID-19 crisis

New Delhi: The US on Sunday (April 25, 2021) assured to help India in its war with coronavirus by offering to provide the necessary raw material to manufacture Covishield vaccine. 

The development took place after the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a phone conversation with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. 

The White House issued a statement after the phone call which said: "The United States has given the assurance of providing raw materials to Indian manufacturers without the need for the Covishield vaccine."

Spoke today with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval about the spike in COVID cases in India and we agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days. The United States stands in solidarity with the people of India and we are deploying more supplies and resources: pic.twitter.com/yDM7v2J7OA — Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 25, 2021

"To help treat COVID-19 patients and protect front-line health workers in India, the United States has identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will immediately be made available for India," a statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne read.

The US is also considering providing oxygen production options to India. Further, the US will also deploy CDC and USAID experts to help India.

America's Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will fund Indian vaccine manufacturer BIOE to produce 100 million doses of its vaccine by 2022.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to get vaccinated at the earliest and exercise caution, as India set a global record for the highest COVID-19 infection in a single day.