A day after Scroll.in reported that several states were yet to hear about their share of Covid-19 relief supplies sent by other countries, the Central government said on Tuesday that the material had been dispatched to 31 states and Union territories. “All possible attempts have been made to distribute them immediately,” the statement released by the Union health ministry said.
However, interviews with state officials revealed that the distribution process itself began as late as Monday evening, May 3, more than a week after the first batch of emergency Covid-19 assistance arrived in India.
Between April 28 and May 2, 300 tonnes of relief materials landed at Delhi airport, a spokesperson of the airport had told Scroll.in. We emailed the health ministry on May 2, seeking information on the status of the supplies. The email went unanswered. The next day, officials of seven state health departments, including Delhi, told us they had not received any supplies from the…