Pfizer donates over Rs 510 crore worth COVID-19 medicines to India

India is currently dealing with a devastating second Covid-19 wave that has swept through the nation, crushing the country's health infrastructure and overburdening frontline medical workers. The number of coronavirus cases in the country is increasing day by day. 

India registered a slight dip in COVID-19 cases as it registered 3,68,147 new coronavirus infections and 3,417 related deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the union health ministry on Monday morning. With this, the cumulative count of the cases has gone up to 1,99,25,604.

Meanwhile, a large amount of aid is also being provided by many countries. Now the American company Pfizer has extended a helping hand to India. Pfizer will send around 70 million dollar worth of drugs to India. This will help India cope with the coronavirus. Apart from this, it is learned that the company is also in talks with India regarding vaccines.

Global pharma major Pfizer is sending its medicines worth USD 70 million (over Rs 510 crore), from its distribution centres in the US, Europe and Asia, that have been identified as part of India''s COVID-19 treatment protocol, the company''s Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday.

"We are deeply concerned by the critical COVID-19 situation in India, and our hearts go out to you, your loved ones and all the people of India," he said in a mail sent to Pfizer India employees that he has shared on his linked.in post.

"We are committed to being a partner in India's fight against this disease and are quickly working to mobilize the largest humanitarian relief effort in our company''s history," Bourla said.

"We are donating these medicines to help make sure that every COVID-19 patient in every public hospital across the country can have access to the Pfizer medicines they need free of charge," Bourla said.