The scenes from India over the past week have been nothing short of horrifying.
As the Covid death toll mounts and the infection rate spirals out of control a nation of 1.4 billion has been brought to its knees.
India has recorded the highest number of Covid infections for more than ten days now, in excess of 350,000 and peaking at 379,257 on Thursday, with the number of cases now passing 18 million.
Hospital workers have had to work around the clock to bury and cremate thousands (there were 3,645 deaths alone on Thursday) in makeshift pyres in fields and car parks as the country struggles to cope.
As the Secretary of the India All Party Parliamentary Group and someone who is of Indian heritage with a family member in a grave condition in an ICU, I am deeply concerned about the situation.
That is why I wrote to the Prime Minister this week - a letter which was signed by 55 parliamentarians- to urge the UK to do far more to help one of our closest global partners in its hour of need.
India’s healthcare workers are working tirelessly to control the crisis but, without support from other countries, the infection and mortality rate in its cities and rural areas will continue to rise as its medical infrastructure and support services come under severe strain.
The nation’s suffering has global ramifications, not least given the country is home to both the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, two of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world.
And we cannot forget what India did for the UK during the first peak of our own crisis last year when its government approved the export of nearly three million packets of paracetamol to help alleviate our own suffering.
That is why it is vital that the UK Government, which has historically close links with India and a large diaspora of Indian people in this country, does as much as possible to alleviate the current crisis, which is seeing a shortage of hospital beds, tests, medicines, oxygen, and its genome sequencing programme.
It is encouraging that the UK has already sent 600 pieces of medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen concentrator devices, but it is little more than a drop in the ocean, and we will need to provide significant and sustained levels of support to help India’s government contain and overcome this crisis.
More than 100 countries already support a proposal from India and South Africa for a TRIPS waiver, which would allow World Trade Organization (WTO) members to quickly overcome intellectual property barriers to access much-needed vaccines and treatments during the crisis.
It was incredibly short-sighted of the UK to oppose the TRIPS waiver at the WTO last October and it must now reconsider its position and heed the calls of more than 150 former heads of state (including Gordon Brown) and Nobel laureates for a people’s vaccine, which would help to overcome Covid vaccine inequality.
During a time of global crisis countries must collaborate and do all they can to ensure there is fair and equitable access to the vaccine, including compelling pharmaceutical companies to keep costs low and increase distribution and access.
Anything less will mean a constant cycle of infections and deaths while so much of the world remains unprotected.
It is encouraging that the US has heeded the calls of the Serum Institute of India and reversed its vaccine ban with India, and the UK must ensure that that policy is permanent so that countries like India can receive sufficient quantities and stand a chance of stemming the tide of this pandemic.
Our world class NHS, medics and scientists have worked incredibly hard to contain the crisis in our country, and it is right that we offer our expertise to help vaccinate everyone including low and middle income countries.
It is also vital that, in providing aid, the UK prioritises investment in public health systems, rather than supporting projects that privatise public services.
This is essential if costs are to be kept down and there is equitable access for all Indian citizens.
While the NHS’ own vaccination drive is rightly the envy of the world we must look beyond our shores and recognise this as a global effort.
As we know all too well in our own country - where we suffered the highest death toll in Europe at the peak of the crisis - quick and decisive action is vital. Because this is a global problem and it requires a united effort.
