The United States (US) government on Tuesday donated 200 ventilators to support Nigeria’s fight against COVID-19. US Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard said the arrival fulfills the commitment discussed between Presidents Donald Trump and President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year.
The ambassador said the 200 ventilators being transferred are compact and portable, and can be easily mobilized to reach those patients with the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.
“Our support includes training on the use and maintenance of this equipment, ensuring that the ventilators can address other respiratory illnesses in the years beyond the virus”, she added.
Leonard informed that USAID will work very closely and energetically over the next couple of weeks with the Ministry of Health and the Presidential Task Force to
bring the ventilators across each of Nigeria’s states and the FCT.
Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, while taking delivery of the ventilators at the Premier Medical Warehouse, Jabi – Abuja, called in the United States Government to lend it’s full weight to global efforts to find efficacious therapeutics and vaccines to neutralize the threat of COVID-19 to the global community and to guarantee fair allocation to all countries and people.
“The speed and ease with which COVID-19 has spread across the globe clearly shows that it is a threat to mankind. Without the full collaboration of all nations, the threat of covid to any one part of the world is a threat to all”, he said.
The minister said the ventilators will be of great benefit to the people of Nigeria. He conveyed the appreciation of president Buhari to President Trump and the United States Government for the “generous consideration and friendly gesture.”
“We particularly appreciate that this gift comes against the backdrop that the United States is also fighting its own fierce battle against the COVID-19 plague. We wish them the very best in this challenge”, the minister said.
