New Delhi (NVI): Israel will be sending a team of scientists to India to jointly develop a rapid testing technology that will be able to detect Covid-19 in less than 30 seconds, the country’s embassy in New Delhi said today.
The Israel embassy said that its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Health will lead an “unprecedented anti-Covid-19 cooperation operation” between the two countries.
“A special planned flight from Tel Aviv to New Delhi is set to carry a high ranking @Israel_MOD R&D team which has been working with India’s chief scientist @kvijayraghavan and @DRDO_India to develop rapid testing for #COVID_19 in under 30 seconds,” the Israeli embassy said in a tweet.
A special planned flight from Tel Aviv to New Delhi is set to carry a high ranking @Israel_MOD R&D team which has been working with India’s chief scientist @kvijayraghavan and @DRDO_India to develop rapid testing for #COVID_19 in under 30 seconds.
2/— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) July 23, 2020
Professor Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan is the Indian government’s principal scientific adviser.
The embassy further said that merging Israeli technology with Indian development and production capabilities aims to allow a swift resumption of normal life alongside the virus.
It said that the team of scientists and doctors from Israel will bring along “breakthrough emerging Israeli technologies” for combatting the virus, which have been donated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry and private sector meant to bolster India’s response to the virus outbreak.
The Israeli plane that will take off from Tel Aviv will also deliver mechanical ventilators that were given special permission by the Government of Israel for export to India, the embassy said.
The embassy also acknowledged that the past few years have cemented the strategic relations between India and Israel and have included two historical visits of the Prime Ministers in Israel and in India.
“Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, PM Netanyahu @IsraeliPM & PM Modi @PMOIndia have held three telephonic conversations in which they promised mutual assistance in dealing with the virus & committed to joint technological and scientific research between the countries,” the embassy said in a series tweets.
“The Israeli companies chosen by the MFA, MOD and IDF to be sent to India are potentially given unique access to one of the largest economies in the world to provide monitoring and treatment technologies while significantly reducing contact between patients and medical staff,” it added.
It said that the Israeli technologies for rapid testing of Covid can be mass-produced at a lower cost in India and could in future be jointly exported to third world countries.
Apart from that, the embassy also appreciated India’s help during the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Israel and said that it is now reciprocating to New Delhi for the “significant gesture”.
“In the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Israel, India gave Israel special authorization to acquire medicine, masks & protective gear. Now, Israel is proud to reciprocate this significant gesture & grant authorization for purchasing of respirators to its great friend in the east,” it said.
“The unique cooperation between India and Israel has allowed both countries to better deal with the #Covid_19 threat and could potentially change the way we live beside the virus,” read another tweet by the embassy.
Israeli ambassador to India, Ron Malka said, “I am proud to lead this Israeli delegation to India. It is at times like this that our friendship is tested, and the State of Israel is happy to lend a helping hand to India in this complicated and difficult time.”
Israel’s Covid-19 tally stands at over 56,000 out of which more than 23,000 have recovered and 433 have died.
India’s Covid-19 tally stands at 12,38,635 out of which 7,82,696 have recovered and 29,861 have died, as per the latest health ministry data.
-ARK
