The Maldives has received medical equipment worth USD 124,000 donated by the United States government to assist the country in combatting COVID-19.
The medical equipment was handed over at a virtual event by the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy Martin Kelly to Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the donation was facilitated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase the capacity and enhance the preparedness of the health sector of the Maldives to support the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. The donated medical equipment includes 184,000 units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, KN95 masks and protective goggles, as well as 600 fingertip pulse oximeters and 1,200 batteries for the pulse oximeters.
The foreign ministry stated the equipment would not only complement the government's efforts to control and contain the spread of COVID-19 but also play a vital role in ensuring safety for the health care workers and front-line workers combatting the pandemic.
Speaking at the event, Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed said the Maldives is also among the first countries that would receive vaccines from the United States. Ghafoor thanked Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and the United States government for the continuous unwavering support extended to the Maldives and noted that such generosity and friendship from close partners have increased the capacity of the country's front-line workers to combat the spread of the virus as well as address long-term goals such as reviving the economy.
The United States has so far contributed over USD 9.1 million to the Maldives’ COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, including a grant aid of USD 2 million, multiple donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), PCR machine, ventilators, and related equipment.