India sends 30,000 Covid-19 test kits as part of Saarc initiative

India has sent emergency medical assistance consisting of 30,000 RT-PCR Covid-19 test kits to Bangladesh.

Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das handed over the kits to Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today.

These test kits are domestically manufactured by 'My Lab Discovery Solutions Private Limited' and are being widely used in India for Covid-19 detection, according to a press statement of Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Bangladesh is the first partner country to receive these test kits on priority and this reflects the importance attached to the bilateral relationship, Riva Ganguly said.

The test kits, brought to Bangladesh in an Indigo flight, were dispatched to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

The kits were provided as the third tranche of emergency medical assistance under the Saarc Covid-19 Emergency Fund created with the initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India has made an initial contribution of $10 million, while Bangladesh announced a contribution of $1.5 million, Afghanistan and Nepal pledged $1 million each, Sri Lanka $5 million, the Maldives and Bhutan pledged $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and Pakistan pledged $3 million to the fund.

In the first tranche under this fund, India provided 30,000 surgical masks and 15,000 head caps on March 25, while the second tranche consisted of 50,000 sterile surgical latex gloves and 1,00,000 Hydroxychloroquine medicine tablets to Bangladesh on April 26.

India is also helping the medical professionals of Saarc countries by conducting online courses under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) framework.