Jalandhar: Worried over the ongoing shortage of medical oxygen in the wake of the deadly COVID-19 second wave in the country, Amritsar Member Parliament (MP) and Congress leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a special ‘oxygen corridor’ from Pakistan.
In his letter, Aujla wrote that India’s hospitals are facing an alarmingly high shortage of liquid oxygen, ventilators, BiPAPs, oxygenators, PPE etc. due to the spike in COVID-19 cases, according to The Wire.
“In response to this emergency our neighbouring countries have offered help which should be welcomed with open arms. The government of Pakistan and Edhi Foundation, Karachi has offered to provide relief support to India to help us fight this deadly wave of Covid-19,” he wrote.
The Amritsar MP’s letter came following Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s offer to help India in tackling the steep increase in COVID-19 cases, especially in the national capital Delhi.
Imran Khan's proposal was followed by Faisal Edhi, Managing Trustee of the Karachi-based Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation, who offered to send a fleet of 50 ambulances kitted out for Covid-19 patients, along with emergency medical technicians, office staff, drivers and supporting staff, to India.
In a letter addressed to PM Modi, Faisal said he would himself lead the rescue team to India. He also wrote the foundation will bear the entire cost, logistics, fuel and all other expenses.
Faisal Edhi is the son of Abdul Sattar Edhi, the humanitarian who was born in a town called Bantwa in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat in 1928. He migrated to Pakistan at the time of Partition in 1947. In his letter to Modi, Faisal also sighted his father's Indian roots.
However, the Indian government is yet to respond to these offers though it has welcomed humanitarian aids from other countries, including Saudi Arabia.
India is reporting more than 3 lakh new Coronavirus cases and over 2000 deaths every day since last one week. Reports of oxygen shortage is coming from a number of Indian states with hospitals sending SOS alerts almost on daily basis.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
