WHO, EU supply critical COVID-19 equipment to the Republic of Moldova

One of the largest shipments of medical respirators, medical masks, goggles, and gowns –worth €1.1 million – was recently delivered to the Republic of Moldova for its health-care workers.

The 1.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) were funded by the European Union (EU) and procured by WHO to help health-care workers respond effectively and safely to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shipment included 1.2 million medical masks, 348 000 N95 respirators, 16 200 goggles, and 36 000 protective gowns.

This is the first consignment of supplies. A second shipment will comprise 330 000 pairs of gloves, 356 oxygen concentrators, 41 patient monitors, 40 ventilators, 215 pulse oximeters, 1500 kits for laboratory tests, and 12 000 testing kits, taking the total value of the shipments to €2.8 million.

Prime Minister Ion Chicu, present at the handover event, expressed his appreciation for the “generous support offered by the EU and WHO to the Eastern Partnership countries”. He said it was additional evidence of the common front to fight COVID-19 at the regional and global levels.

“On behalf of the government and citizens of the Republic of Moldova, I would like to thank the EU and WHO from my heart for this solidarity gesture.”

The donation of PPE and medical and laboratory devices is part of the EU’s response to the outbreak of COVID-19. On 27 March 2020, the EU announced assistance of €30 million to help prevent, detect and respond to the pandemic in 6 countries of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, including the Republic of Moldova.

The EU funds will initially be used to meet immediate needs such as procuring essential supplies and training for health-care workers, frontline responders, and patients. In the longer term, the assistance will be used for strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

Original source: WHO
Published on 10 August 2020