India Sends Equipment And Experts To Set Up COVID-19 Lab In Iran As Iran Has No Capacity To Test Stranded Indians

India has approximately 6,000 citizens stuck in Iran now when the COVID-19 outbreak in the latter country appears to worsen. Most of those are now in the Middle Eastern country are pilgrims and students.

According to S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, India can only bring back those who have been tested.

To rescue stranded citizens in Iran, a C-17 Globemaster III, a large heavy military transport aircraft, has been sent to Tehran.

On March 12, Harsh Vardhan, union health minister said that because Iran did not have the needed infrastructure to test Indians, they would send medical personnel and laboratory equipment to the Middle Eastern country.

The personnel coming on this mission includes an expert working at the National Institute of Virology and three scientists from the Indian Council for Medical Research. What the government aims at is to establish a laboratory in Iran to test Indians stranded in the country.

The minister shared that when the lab fulfills the task the Indian government needs it for, it would be donated to Iran. However, the plan has not been executed as the Iranian government has not given clearance.

Once tests results come up, those who are tested negative for COVID-19 will be the first to be evacuated.

As stated by Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi, if Indians were confirmed to be infected outside of their home country, the Indian government expected that they would be taken care of by the authority of that nation like what India was doing for citizens of other countries.

To assist China in its fight against COVID-19, India has sent 15 tons of cargo with gloves, masks, and emergency equipment to the country. India has also get assistance request from Italy, Bhutan, Maldives, and Iran.

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