EU, WHO deliver ventilators, protective equipment to COVID-19 hospital in Georgia
This shipment is a part of the large support provided jointly by the EU and WHO, which has already provided substantial medical supplies across the region, including over 1.8 million items of personal protective and medical equipment, such as isolation gowns, protective goggles, oxygen concentrators, medical masks, respirators delivered to Georgia. Photo: The Health Ministry/Facebook.
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The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have handed over 10 intensive care ventilators and 1,000 items of protective equipment to COVID-19 hospitals in Georgia for the treatment and care of Covid-patients.
This shipment is a part of the large support provided jointly by the EU and WHO, which has already provided substantial medical supplies across the region, including over €1.8 million items of personal protective and medical equipment, such as isolation gowns, protective goggles, oxygen concentrators, medical masks, respirators delivered to Georgia.
Ten ventilators, which were handed over to the N. Kipshidze Central University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University, are manufactured by the Swedish company MAQUET Critical Care. Photo: The Health Ministry/Facebook.
Today Georgia received ventilators, protective gowns and gloves. This partnership with the EU started from the first day of the Covid pandemic and it is noteworthy that through this close cooperation, Georgia has been able to successfully deal with all the difficult processes”, said the Georgian Minister of Health Ekaterine Tikaradze.
While talking about vaccines, the Head of WHO Country Office in Georgia Silviu Domente said that until the Covid-19 vaccines are available in sufficient quantities, WHO should continue it effort in reducing the transmission of the virus and saving lives, including through strengthening capacities of Intensive Care Units managing critical patients and protecting the health workers.
EIB has provided 100 million loan to Georgia to support modernization of seven major hospitals in the country and to cover the procurement of essential equipment. The loan is also covering procurement of vaccines, and establishing an effective supply chain to provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for Covid-19 patients”, said Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Regional Representation for the South Caucasus Maciej Czura.
The EU and Team Europe, including the European Commission, the EIB and Member States, are some of the strongest supporters of the COVAX, through which Georgia will receive its first vaccines.
The EU and Team Europe have so far announced contributions of more than €870 million to the facility.
The Pfizer vaccine may be the first vaccine Georgia uses to combat the coronavirus in the near future, said Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze earlier today.
The six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will soon benefit from a new programme launched by the European Union in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) today worth over €40 million, that aims to ensure local readiness and preparedness for a safe and effective vaccination of the population.
Foreign Ministers of 13 member states of the European Union have called on the European Commission ‘to set up a support mechanism’ to allow the Eastern Partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - ‘secure early access to COVID-19 vaccine’. The letter initiated by Lithuania was signed by the FMs of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a COVID-19 support package for Georgia comprised of €150 million to help the country limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The EU Commission has increased the assistance package for six Eastern Partnership countries from €40 million to €75 million in order to ‘deploy safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines and speed up the vaccination campaigns.’ Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will receive the additional €35 million as a part of the assistance package ‘to substantially increase access to vaccines in the Eastern Partnership region amid the global vaccine shortage.’
The European Union and the World Health Organization have donated medical equipment, including 2,000 pulse oximeters and 180 oxygen concentrators to Georgia in order to help the medical facilities in rural areas of the country fight Covid-19.