W.H.O. donates thousands of medical equipment to Samoa
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The World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) has assisted Samoa by donating thousands of Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.) and medical equipment on Tuesday.
The equipment had arrived in the country on Monday afternoon an a chartered flight, and the handover of the P.P.E. medical equipment was held at the Pharmacy Warehouse at Motootua.
Medical equipment donated by the WHO to Samoa
Photo: Marc Membrere
The W.H.O. had donated 253,000 gloves, 72,000 gowns, 10,320 face shields, 30,000 respirator masks, 280,000 surgical masks, 3,000 pulse oximeters, 50 oxygen concentrators with their accompanied accessories.
The Minister of Health Valasi Tafito Selesele thanked the W.H.O. for their assistance on Tuesday in his keynote address.
"Since Samoa first detected COVID-19 community transmission over six weeks ago, the Ministry of Health has worked tirelessly to ensure that the most vulnerable in our population are protected and that those who are infected with COVID-19 are given the urgent medical care that they need," Valasi said.
Minister of Health Valasi Tafito Selesele and WHO Country Representative Dr Kim Eva Dickson
Photo: Marc Membrere
With P.P.E being utilised in Samoa's COVID-19 response, he explained that the Government had sent out an urgent request to donor partners seeking urgent assistance replenishing the country's stocks.
"These equipment and PPE supplies will go a long way and will be distributed and used by Samoa health care workers around the country as they continue to test and treat patients whilst ensuring that they themselves remain safe as they save lives," he said.
"On behalf of the Government of Samoa I would like to thank the WHO, World Food Programme, and the European Union for responding to our need and for assisting Samoa in its fight against COVID-19."
The W.H.O. Country Representative Dr. Kim Eva Dickson said on Tuesday that she is thankful for the assistance of the World Food Programme and the funding from the European Union that enabled the equipment to get to Samoa.
She had also thanked her team in Samoa for the work that they have done.
"I would also like to thank the various donors that gave funding to make this possible," she said.
"Our greatest challenge even when we had the items in this COVID times was getting the items to Samoa. It's been a great challenge."
She explained that the items will support healthcare providers in the fight against COVID-19.
"Samoa has done an incredible job, incredible in the vaccination drive and we would like to congratulate all of you in the hard work that you have done," she said.
She had then stated that Samoa is amongst one of the countries with a high vaccination rate.