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India passed 24 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as 4,000 people died from the virus for the third straight day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded the alarms of the ongoing crisis, as the highly transmissible B.1.617 variant, first detected in India, appears to be spreading around the world.
The black market of medical supplies has become very rampant – in New Delhi, oxygen cylinders could cost as much as 70,000 rupees (around $955), 20 times higher than the usual price.
The crisis has pushed up the cost of living – the surge has caused a shortage of wood for funeral pyres, hearses and crematorium slots. People are forced to pay higher prices to perform the last rights for their loved ones.
A report from the BBC found that legislation from the Indian government is preventing non-profit organizations from supplying oxygen concentrators to those in need. The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act was amended so NGOs operating in India can’t distribute foreign contributions of supplies to other groups.
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