UK's Dominic Raab on aid to India, activist on vaccine shortage

Britain says it is sending 600 pieces of medical equipment including ventilators to India to help in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Sunday the first of nine plane-loads of kit would arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday. The assistance package includes 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators from surplus UK stocks.

The move follows discussion with the Indian government, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. But a public health activist in India said the UK's response to India's crisis was somewhat 'disingenuous'. Achal Prabhala, a fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation and coordinator of the 'accessibsa' project, said the UK should have left vaccines produced by India for the use of poor countries.

"The United Kingdom asked for 10 million doses of vaccines that were being made in India that were exclusively meant for poor countries who had no choice. And this is when the UK had a lot of choice," said Prabhala. He added London should use its "legal, financial and moral pressure" to get pharmaceuticals to waive the patent rights on their vaccines.