The United States Government, via the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 250 ventilators to Egypt for use in intensive care units, Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat announced on Sunday.
“The COVID-19 challenge has pushed stronger cooperation between countries to meet evolving humanitarian needs. Egypt’s partnership with the United States has reflected a spirit of collective responsibility and reciprocated solidarity for the benefit of our communities,” Mashat said in a statement.
Mashat noted that Egypt provided a shipment of medical aid to the United States in April to contribute to efforts to combat coronavirus.
A statement for the US Embassy in Cairo said that the donation delivers on President Trump’s pledge to provide these critical supplies, and supports Egypt’s urgent response to the pandemic.
These ventilators, which were made in the US, are highly specialized, state-of-the-art, compact medical equipment designed to treat patients experiencing severe breathing difficulties caused by COVID-19, the embassy said.
The ventilators will better equip university and Ministry of Health and Population hospitals in Egypt to continue delivering quality, lifesaving care. As part of this donation, the United States is funding a maintenance package and specialized training for medical providers.
“The donation of 250 ventilators to hospitals throughout Egypt represents the latest step in the joint efforts by Egypt and the United States to fight COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, Egypt generously provided the United States with a donation of personal protective equipment so our healthcare workers could stay safe. The innovation of American private industry has allowed us to return the favor today with these state-of-the-art, lifesaving devices,” US Ambassador Jonathan Cohen said.
USAID, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the Ministry of Health and Population have identified 24 hospitals in 12 governorates that have both a need for ventilators and staff who can use them immediately to treat patients suffering from the effects of COVID-19.
Over the past 40 years, the United States, through USAID, has invested over one billion US dollars to strengthen Egypt’s health system, working in partnership with the Egyptian people to improve maternal and child health and nutrition, eliminate infectious diseases, and educate and mobilize community health workers.
