March 23 – India has reaffirmed its commitment to Pacific Island nations by dispatching a six-bedded container-based dialysis unit to Kiribati. The consignment departed from Mundra Port and is en route to Tarawa, further strengthening the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Standing together with the Pacific Islands family – helping strengthen the healthcare system of Kiribati. Fulfilling India’s commitment made at FIPIC III Summit: a consignment of a six-bedded container-based dialysis unit has departed from Mundra Port for Tarawa, Kiribati.”
This marks the latest in a series of healthcare aid initiatives under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). In November 2023, India sent haemodialysis machines to four Pacific Island nations—Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Nauru—along with portable Reverse Osmosis (RO) units.
At the time, Jaiswal shared on X, “Standing together with the Pacific Islands family. Fulfilling India’s commitment made at FIPIC III Summit, the second consignment of Haemo-Dialysis machines with portable RO units has been dispatched.”
The consignment included three units for the Marshall Islands, and one each for Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Nauru, bolstering their medical capacity. In October 2023, India had also sent its first batch of haemodialysis machines to Papua New Guinea.
The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014. The initiative includes 14 island nations—Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu—highlighting India’s growing engagement with the region.
Despite their small landmass and geographic distance from India, these nations have vast exclusive economic zones (EEZs), presenting significant opportunities for collaboration across various sectors.
Source: capitalfm
