印度团体众筹，从中国采购6000台制氧机
据印度卫生部数据显示，截至当地时间5月2日8时，过去24小时内印度新增新冠肺炎确诊病例392488例，新增死亡病例3689例。
这是自2月22日以来，印度新增病例连续第11天保持在30万例以上。
据当地新闻通讯社印度报业托拉斯(Press Trust of India)报道，印度最高法院表示，该国的医疗保健系统已经达到了“崩溃点”，退休的医疗保健工作者可能会被要求回去工作。
一切都显得越来越“绝望”。
但依然有人在努力挽救。
4月23日，一群来自印度民主人民基金会(DPF)的年轻企业家发起了“氧气任务”，旨在从中国制造商处采购医用制氧机运送至印度的医院。
“我们最初的目标是在一个在线平台上筹集500台医用制氧机，”DPF创始人之一拉胡尔·阿加瓦尔(Rahul Aggarwal)在接受CGTN的视频采访时说，“我们很快就意识到，印度各地的医院将需要数万台这样的设备。”
India is gasping for breath amid a raging second wave of COVID-19 pandemic as the plight of its healthcare system is compounded by a severe shortage of oxygen supply in hospitals nationwide.
In an atmosphere of despair, a civilian effort has gained steam over the past week and now shines as an example of human enterprise and resilience in the face of a massive disaster, giving hope to hospitals and patients in desperate need of pure oxygen.
Even before the government, stunned into slackness by the escalating pandemic mayhem, or an alarmed global community could respond to the unfolding catastrophe in India, a group of young entrepreneurs from the Democracy People Foundation (DPF) launched "Mission Oxygen" on April 23, with the single objective of procuring oxygen concentrators from Chinese manufacturers and deliver it to the hospitals in India.
DPF原本是由阿加瓦尔的祖父创立的一个家庭慈善信托基金，在印度首都新德里及其周边地区从事规模较小的慈善活动。但随着“氧气任务”的开展，该信托基金的运作规模急剧扩大。
“氧气任务”的目标就这样从500台提升至6000台。
A screenshot of Mission Oxygen's fundraising page. /Ketto.org
从中国运来的第一批100台设备已于上周五送到，它们被分发到印度的14家医院，剩余部分将从本周开始分阶段交付。
“在过去的七天里，我们得到了来自世界各地的帮助。不同地方、不同国家、不同种族的人都站出来帮助我们，没有一个人拒绝我，”阿加瓦尔说。
The mission has also attracted support from several international writers, including Salman Rushdie, Jodi Picoult, Fatima Bhutto, Ali Smith, Gayle Forman and filmmaker Mira Nair, and Bollywood actors such as Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Varun Dhavan.
"Over the last seven days, we've had help from all over the world. Every place, every country, people of all kinds, races have come forward to help us … not a single person has said no to me," Aggarwal said.
"They're supporting us in this initiative because they see that our intent is clear. Our intention is to help people and nothing else. Nobody's making any money out of this," he said.
“氧气任务”已经在印度组建了一个由250名企业家组成的团队，在中国动员了大约50人，以满足运营需求。许多货运和物流公司也挺身而出，帮助该团队将设备运送到印度各地。
阿加瓦尔表示，虽然目前该任务只针对医院，但下一阶段他们将接触非政府组织和企业。
谈及从中国购买制氧机的原因，阿加瓦尔给出了三个关键理由——生产力、人员和物流支持，以及有竞争力的价格。
阿加瓦尔对中国人为“氧气任务”所做出的努力表达了赞赏和感谢：“我们从中国人那里得到了巨大的支持。他们能理解我们印度人今天感受到的痛苦和面临的困难，我认为这终究是关乎人性的问题。”
“我认为（疫情）不再是印度、中国或任何其他国家的问题，现在这是一场人道主义危机。”
Aggarwal was all praise for the support the initiative has received from the Chinese people.
"The people who are working in our logistics in China have been working 24/7. They have been sleeping in factories, visiting warehouses at odd hours, flying from one city to another at the dead of the night, reaching at wee hours," he said. "They have been following the cargo all the way from the factories to the warehouses and at the airports."
"The kind of support that we're getting from the local Chinese people there is tremendous. They feel the pain that we as Indians are feeling today, the troubles that we are facing, and I think it's humanity at the end of the day," Aggarwal added.
"I don't think this is any longer a cause of India or China or any other country, it's a humanitarian cause now. And, one human is coming forward to help another human. I think that's what's happening right now. I have no complaints at all, in that respect."
阿加瓦尔还呼吁中国和印度政府考虑优先对紧急医疗物资进行清关，特别是那些以非营利和捐赠为目的的物资。
中国已经实现了这样的便利。
上周六，中国驻印度大使孙卫东发推表示，中国为印方从中国城市运送医疗物资提供了通关和运输便利，“将继续确保向印度出口物资的渠道顺利运转”。
A screenshot of tweets from Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong promising smooth functioning of export channel of medical supplies to India. /Twitter via @China_Amb_Ind
Aggarwal called on authorities in both China and India to consider a priority customs clearance for emergency medical supplies, particularly if they are for non-profit and donation purposes.
On Saturday, the Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong tweeted that medical supplies to India are now getting such a service already. "We've provided convenience in customs clearance and transportation for India to transport medical supplies from cities in China. Will continue to ensure smooth functioning of export channel of materials to India," he said.
In an interview with Global Times published Sunday, Sun said China hopes and believes that under the leadership of the Indian government, the local people can conquer the pandemic soon. In fact, China was one of the countries proposing help and support at the earliest stage and quickly took action, he said.
"As far as I know, Chinese companies have been accelerating production of at least 40,000 oxygen generators – orders placed by the Indian side, and they are working around the clock to deliver them as soon as possible. Many Chinese firms and private organizations are also using their own channels to provide various [forms of] help to India," Sun said.