NEW DELHI/ZHENGZHOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Aspiring to become a medical student at the university, 18-year-old Devyanshi from Delhi, India, has been extremely concerned about the COVID-19 epidemic in her country.
India was facing a very "critical situation," she said in a video interview with Xinhua recently.
"There is an acute shortage of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, medicines and also medical stuff," she said. "People are dying in great numbers due to this."
India is the second country after the United States to record more than 20 million COVID-19 cases. On Friday, it registered a record high of 414,188 new cases in the past 24 hours, more than 300,000 a day for half a month in a row, and a death toll surpassing 230,000.
Devyanshi hopes that India could seek help from other countries, and she is not alone.
According to Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong, since last month China has provided more than 5,000 ventilators, more than 21,000 oxygen generators, more than 21.48 million face masks, and some 3,800 tons of medicine.
"In the past two weeks, 61 cargo flights have been in operation from China to India, transporting various urgently needed medical supplies for India," he tweeted Saturday.
On May 2, Fosun's first batch of donated medical protective supplies, 100,000 masks, arrived in Mumbai, western India. The company told Xinhua on Friday that 150 ventilators donated by Fosun Pharma's subsidiary Gland Pharma were to be delivered to Hyderabad in central India. More than 20,000 oxygen generators are also to be provided soon.
In the video footage, a group of Fosun staff shouted: "Stay strong, India."
Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International, said on his social media account: "today .. .countries have extensive converging interests and are mutually dependent. Together let's join hands to fight the pandemic."
Fosun Pharma is not the only Chinese company that provides medical equipment for India.
Sun Weidong also shared another video clip, in which workers of a Chinese oxygen generator manufacturer, the Zhengzhou Olive Electronic Technology Co. Ltd, were bustling in the factory, producing and packing the machines during the May Day holiday.
According to Qu Yunping, sales manager of the company, they received orders from India at the end of April. A total of 18,000 oxygen generators were needed. Zhengzhou Olive added another production line and workers, operating overtime against its current daily production capacity of 700 to meet the need.
Ms An Junhong was in charge of quality supervision in the factory, who only took four days off after the Spring Festival in February.
"We have so many orders from overseas," she told Xinhua, adding they work from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m each day.
Talking about India, the 40-year-old woman said she learned about the COVID-19 situation there by browsing on her mobile phone.
"My friends and I also shared information about India with each other on WeChat," she said. "I know how severe it is."
"So it is not just about doing our job," she said. "It is a matter of life and death. I think we help saving lives."
Along with the equipment, there is a message that she would like to convey to the Indian people: "take good care of yourself, take protective measures and hopefully you could bring the pandemic under control soon."
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Friday over the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
In the message, Xi said China is willing to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation with India, and provide support and help to the country. The human race belongs to a community with a shared future, Xi said, adding that only through solidarity and cooperation can all countries across the world defeat the pandemic finally.
A doctor in the Uttar Pradesh state in India, Rachna is now busy treating patients with COVID-19.
"Almost 40 countries from all over the world are helping us, and out of that China has come forward which is really appreciable," she told Xinhua. "It is supporting us by supplying us major medical instruments like ventilators, medicines, oxygen concentrators."
Many ordinary people in India took to social media to express their gratitude for the support from China.
"Thank you very much for doing overtime work for India and making quick supplies," Trivedi Pankaj left the comment on the Chinese ambassador's account.
"Very good work by China in helping India in medical crisis," wrote shrikantchandra. "While the Western gov'ts are banning flights and their newspapers making noises, China is quietly helping India."
Noting "a close neighbor is better than a distant relative," Vikram Singh wrote. "We must enhance mutual understanding, trust and goodwill, driving relations forward."
"Thanks China," wrote Aditya. "Hope this help paves way for recovery of relationship of neighbors.".
More photos below.
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