Chinese short video platform TikTok on Wednesday donated 400,000 hazmat medical protective suits and 200,000 masks worth Rs 100 crore in order to help doctors and other medical professionals tackle the spread of COVID-19 in India. The social media platform is the latest one to join the fight against coronavirus, which started in the Wuhan city of China late last year.
"The Government of India has been making concerted efforts to contain the spread of the virus and through this donation we want to contribute towards this effort. With support from the Union Ministry of Textile, this essential gear, which meets the prescribed standards and guidelines, is being handed over to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India," the company said in a statement.
TikTok's donation helps doctors
TikTok said the first lot of 20,675 hazmat suits arrived on April 1 and the second lot will be arriving in India before April 4. The remaining 2 lakh suits will be delivered to India in the following weeks, TikTok said in a statement.
The masks shall be provided to both local and state-level medical workers and have been handed to the Delhi and Maharashtra governments. TikTok's donation of PPEs for doctors are certainly helpful as many doctors in remote areas in India are forced to use makeshift PPEs while handling Covid-19 patients.
Chinese companies' donations to fight Covid-19 in India
Donations are pouring in from across the world, and many Chinese companies have come forward to help India fight better against the disease. Earlier, Xiaomi had announced to donate lakhs of N95 masks to the state governments. The company also pledged a Rs 15 crore contribution towards India's fight against Covid-19.
Additionally, the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have also pledged to donate essential medical supplies to India.
Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has climbed to 1,637, causing 38 deaths, according to the data furnished by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A total of 132 patients have been cured and discharged so far.
(With inputs from IANS)
