Meeting Medical Supply Needs Today
by Joshua Estrin, PHD
As what is being called by experts the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, an already fragile infrastructure is completely overwhelmed. India’s medical community is reaching critical levels as the fatigue of working around the clock becomes the norm; the problem appears to be getting worse daily. India has historically faced economic and social challenges to meet the needs of a population of nearly 1.4 billion spread across 1.3 million miles. The pandemic has exacerbated existing supply and distribution issues, pushing the country into a state of emergency. No resource has emerged as more necessary and simultaneously scarce as medical oxygen. WeShield recognizes this need, and we are working to help Indian medical centers provide relief and treatment to their patients.
With a staggering average of more than 300,000 COVID-19 cases for nearly the past week, the harsh reality is that medical centers are struggling to meet the needs of the almost 138,000 patients oxygen support today—based on the official data released last week. Therefore, the problem is not getting better and represents an increase in need that is more than three times the number of those needing oxygen in the first wave of the pandemic.
The world has responded to meet India’s immediate needs:
“Several countries have also sent India much-needed relief materials, from ISO tanks to oxygen concentrators and cylinders. As aid has poured in, mainly in the form of oxygen-making plants and concentrators, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries pitched in, contributing over 1,000 metric tons of medical grade oxygen per day free of charge. The DRDO works with several private and public sector agencies to produce over 700 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants, which use technology developed for India’s LCA Tejas light fighter aircraft. With the steady increase in cases, the demand for medical oxygen is unlikely to subside. In Delhi, the Central and state administration is currently in an unseemly standoff over oxygen supply that led the Supreme Court to step in on May 7 to compel the Centre to issue Delhi its assigned quota of 700 tons per day.” – India Today, May 9, 2021
WeShield recognizes India’s critical needs. As a leader in supplying the most vulnerable with life-saving PPE, we have entered the global arena to offer supply and service. While it appears countries like the United States are finally moving through the worst of the pandemic, the recent surge in India is reminiscent of the early days of the COVID-19 crisis in our country and a reminder of the threat the virus still poses. Driven by a scarcity model, WeShield provided necessary protective solutions during US case surges when some of the largest global suppliers failed, sourcing life-saving PPE to hospitals, government agencies, and commercial entities who were finding it impossible to get the products they needed to keep their workforce safe. India’s struggles are no different.
As shortages of the necessary oxygenators have demanded that WeShield find what India needs, we are collaborating with some of the largest public and private sectors in the region to create a reliable source and supply chain, allowing for these life-saving products to reach the most vulnerable.
The ability to proactively recognize a need, pivot quickly to meet that need and create the necessary checks and balances to ensure that enterprises here and abroad have a reliable source of the highest grade and environmentally sound products continue to be central tenets for WeShield. As we offer our expertise to India, we remain ever vigilant in our commitment to all those who rely on us for their safety, security, and well-being.
Our knowledgeable sales representatives are available now to meet your PPE and oxygen supply needs. Contact us today to secure the lowest pricing on oxygenators, including Philips Resporonics, Owgels, Jumao, Dynarex, and more.