Amazon Joins US-Based Global Task Force to Bring in Ventilators to Help India Fight COVID-19

Amazon has joined the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Task Force to bring in ventilators to help combat the COVID-19 crisis in India. Launched in May, the Global Task Force is a unified effort for businesses to mobilise and deliver resources to relieve surges of COVID-19 around the globe. It includes C-Suite leaders from leading US companies such as Accenture, Apple, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Walmart International, and more. Amazon is represented by Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief executive officer (and soon to be company CEO) Andy Jassy at the Global Task Force for the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon says the Task Force will work to concentrate efforts where corporate support will be most beneficial. Last week, Amazon had announced that it is sponsoring the supply of 100 ICU ventilator units costing $3.8 million from the US. After receiving strong expressions of interest from other corporates, and with a common objective to scale the program much bigger, Amazon approached USIBC to build sponsorship for a much larger scale. Under USIBC’s leadership, their various members have now committed to bring in 1000 Medtronic ventilators urgently to India.

Speaking over the development, Amazon Global SVP and India head Amit Agarwal, said that it is reassuring to see the business community come together to help during a “severely difficult time” in India. “We are working with NITI Aayog and MoHFW to identify hospitals in the most urgent need and enable the distribution of these ventilators to help those in need across India,” the senior executive added.

Meanwhile, Amazon Europe has committed more than $2.5 million in support for India as the country is battling a deadly second wave of the COVID-19. The aid will include purchasing and transporting medical supplies. Amazon’s Europe business will also deliver oxygen concentrators from Italy, ventilators from the UK, and nebulisers and inhalation devices from Germany. Amazon says that these will be provided to local charities, and Amazon will also be utilising their vast logistics network, to help deliver the equipment to hospitals, medical facilities and public institutions.

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