Around 300,720 more COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits, tens of blood gas analyser and oxygen concentrators, over 210 thousand more of Personal Protective Equipment including 70 units of tents and 100 beds provided by China touched down yesterday afternoon in Honiara.
These consignments of COVID-19 supplies, will gear towards current efforts to roll out mass COVID-19 testing, enhance capacity to manage severely sick COVID-19 patients and ensure that health workers and other frontline government ministries and agencies continue to discharge their duties safely. It will also enable health to expand its capability to accommodate for more of COVID-19 sick patients who require medical attention.
Honourable Health Minister Dr Culwick Togamana and China Ambassador to SI His Excellency Li Ming in front of the supplies provided by China with signed transfer documentation.
In handing over the consignment of COVID-19 His Excellency Li Ming, Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands said China is very pleased to once again attend to the request of the government of Solomon Islands in its fight against the current COVID-19 situation.
‘We are pleased indeed, as these supplies will be used to saving lives and protecting the health of the people of Solomon Islands as the country continues to battle COVID-19 transmission that is now evident in almost all provinces’,
‘In handing over these supplies I’d also like to reiterate that China’s aid to Solomon Islands is comprehensive and covers multiple areas, and in all the areas we support, we remain open, transparent and inclusive’, explained Ambassador Li Ming.
He assured that Solomon Islands is not alone in its current efforts with COVID-19 as China will continue to provide support in areas where it is needed in health and all other social and economic sectors of the country.
In receiving the supplies, Minister of Health Hon. Dr Culwick Togamana expressed sincere appreciation towards China for the supplies delivered. ‘ I on behalf of the government is most grateful towards the People’s Republic of China for promptly responding to our request for additional testing capabilities. This will greatly enable my ministry to disperse these kits to provincial hospitals, area health centres, nurse aid posts and other rural health institutions at community level to conduct COVID-19 testing for appropriate management and advise.
‘ Your excellency, as the Honourable Prime Minister and myself have promoted in our public addresses, the need for our people to uphold COVID-19 measures. However, the challenge is with the limited availability and supply of PPEs, with the huge amount of PPEs delivered today we can now address these shortfalls in our efforts to contain and prevent further spread of the virus’, explained Dr. Togamana.
He also acknowledged the vital medical supplies, blood gas analyser and oxygen concentrator also received stating that it will greatly enable clinical management of COVID-19 patients especially those severely sick and requiring oxygen.
‘ As such the government and my ministry is grateful for the support received. Thank you government and people of China’.
-Joint Media Release from MHMS & PRC