California sends supplies to COVID-ravaged India

California is the first state to send oxygen supplies to India

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California will send oxygen equipment to India as that country faces a devastating and fast-spreading surge of COVID-19 cases.

“When communities across the world need help, California steps up. As we surpass 28 million vaccinations and continue to see the lowest positivity rates in the country, we must meet this moment with compassion by aiding those that are hardest hit by this pandemic,” Newsom said in a statement. “Everyone deserves quality medical treatment against this terrible disease, and California will answer the call and provide aid to the people of India who so desperately need it.”

California will send the following supplies: 

• 275 oxygen concentrators that concentrate the oxygen from a gas supply by selectively removing nitrogen to supply an oxygen-enriched product gas stream. These units are capable of producing 10 liters per minute of oxygen supplied directly to patients via a mask.
• 440 oxygen cylinders, large metal cylinders designed to store oxygen that are used for both hospital and at-home use.
• 240 high-flow oxygen regulators for H tanks that are used to adjust and control the rate of oxygen flow. These devices provide for greater efficiency in the rate at which oxygen is delivered to patients.
• 210 pulse oximeters, small sensors generally clipped to the finger, toe or ear lobe that measure the oxygen saturation within an individual’s blood to determine whether they are getting enough oxygen into their bloodstream.
• 1 deployable oxygen concentrator systems (docs) which is capable of producing 120 liters per minute of oxygen and is generally used to fill large cylinders.

The distribution of these supplies is being coordinated through the U.S. Agency for International Development and will be provided directly to health care providers and front-line workers. India reported nearly 350,000 new cases on Sunday, the largest single day total of cases ever recorded by a single country. California’s contributions come as part of a wider effort by the United States to fight the spread of COVID-19 in India. On Sunday, the Biden Administration pledged to provide more medical aid to the country, including raw materials for vaccine production, test kits, ventilators and PPE.

According to Newsom’s office, California still maintains a state stockpile to respond to any additional outbreaks that may occur within the state. Early in the pandemic, California loaned ventilators to Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada and Delaware and also sent millions of items of PPE to neighboring states along the West Coast.

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