India gifts a 10-tonne consignment of medicines to Sri Lanka

India today gifted a 10 tonne consignment of essential life saving medicines to Government of Sri Lanka, in view of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement that these medicines have been requested by Government of Sri Lanka. The consignment was brought to Sri Lanka by an Air India Special Charter flight today.

"This is yet another manifestation of India’s unwavering commitment to stand with Sri Lanka, in rain and in shine. Despite its own domestic challenges and constraints, India has always believed in sharing its resources and expertise with its friends and partners," the statement stressed. 

The statement recalled that at the initiative of Prime Minister of India, a SAARC Leaders Video Conference was held on 15 March 2020 to discuss ways to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. India also pledged US$ 10 million to the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Subsequently, a Video Conference of health professionals in SAARC countries was held on 26 March 2020.  Ministry of Health of India has also started offering online training sessions for health professionals in SAARC countries. SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) situated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat has also developed a dedicated webpage pertaining to the COVID-19 situation in SAARC Member States [http://www.covid19-sdmc.org/]. Sri Lanka has been a valuable partner in all these initiatives, the High Commission further noted.