WHO sends 100 oxygen concentrators to Ladakh amid COVID spike [details]

As India grapples the second wave of COVID-19, help from many countries has arrived. Joining India's fight against COVID is WHO, which recently sent 100 oxygen concentrators to Ladakh by road as COVID-19 engulfs the union territory.

The Covid-19 death toll in Ladakh has surged to 190, while 88 fresh cases pushed the overall tally to 18,750 in the union territory, officials said on Wednesday. Amid the surge, WHO is helping the UT by providing the much-needed oxygen concentrators, which help stabilising COVID patients in the valley.

Oxygen concentrators reach Leh

The oxygen concentrators were handed over to the Ladakh officials, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education, and Dr. Iftikhar M Chaudhry from the National Health Mission. The WHO vehicles carrying the concentrators were given a "green corridor" at the request of Ganderbal District Superintendent of Police Feroz Yahya. Dr. Suneem Khan, who is the nodal officer for COVID-19 for the CRPF in Srinagar, led the interdepartmental coordination.

Despite the "green corridor", there were other challenges to traveling by road from J&K to Leh. Despite the snow and landslides blocking parts of the road, the WHO vehicles reached the Ladakh capital in one day. Finally, the oxygen concentrators were received by Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr. Kotwal.

"Extended gratitude to WHO for providing 100 oxygen concentrators to Ladakh. Request to open a WHO Office in UT Ladakh," Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament from Ladakh said, acknowledging WHO's support.