TikTok donates medical gear worth Rs 100 Cr to fight COVID-19 in India

Video-sharing platform TikTok has said that it’s working with the Indian government to donate medical equipment worth Rs 100 crore to frontline medical workers in India.

The Chinese company will chip in with 400,000 hazmat medical protective suits and 200,000 masks according to a community post on its website.

"With support from the Union Ministry of Textile, this essential gear, which meets the prescribed standards and guidelines, is being handed over to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the post said.

TikTok also donated 200,000 masks to the state governments of Delhi and Maharashtra for local and state-level medical workers.

Even under full lockdown conditions, new cases of COVID positive patients are being reported every day and  437 new cases were added on Wednesday, registering the biggest single-day jump in the figures yet. The explosive rise in the infected persons has put pressure on the already overstretched medical services in India.

There has been a global shortage of medical protective equipment and the WHO has requested governments and industries to increase manufacturing by at least 40% to meet the demand. These protective equipment are indispensable for doctors and nurses who’re putting their lives on the line to care for the victims of the pandemic.

“Our medical doctors and health workers are the most vulnerable and exposed to the virus. At times like these, their safety is of utmost priority. ” TikTok said in the post.

The Chinese company had reached quarterly revenues of Rs 25 Cr in India for the quarter ended in Dec 2019. Earlier this week, it was reported that New York-based investment management firm Tiger Global has acquired a stake in its parent company Bytedance through secondary transactions.