India recorded 320,000 new infections on Tuesday, and deaths are now close to 200,000 in total.
Nursing staff in the UK are standing in solidarity with their counterparts in India as a healthcare crisis emerges.
It comes as the country runs short of hospital beds, oxygen and the life-saving medicines required to treat patients with COVID-19.
As the virus continued to spread across the country, India recorded 320,000 new infections on Tuesday, and deaths are now close to 200,000 in total.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) President Professor Dame Anne Marie Rafferty, said: “In the context of a global pandemic, no one is safe until everyone is safe. It is vital, now more than ever, that the international community must work collaboratively to develop global solutions to bring about a rapid end to the pandemic.
“The government’s promise of life-saving equipment surplus to our needs is a good start but long term support is essential.
“We stand in solidarity with our nursing colleagues in India who are working tirelessly to provide lifesaving care to patients, their expertise is crucial to meet the enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that many of our Indian members will be worried about loved ones at this time, and we are committed to supporting them and their families.”
Matt Bodell, a frontline registered nurse and editor of NursingNotes, adds; “We are all thinking of our nursing and medical colleagues in India.
“Having the skills but lacking the necessary equipment and resources to save lives is surely heartbreaking for any healthcare professional anywhere in the world.
“Urgent action is needed on the world stage to ensure life-saving equipment is despatched to areas that need it most.