Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal, has revealed that 125 tons of medical equipment comprising testing kits, personal protective equipment, surgical masks, and ventilators from China will reach Pakistan soon.
During a joint media briefing with Dr. Zafar Mirza, Lt. Gen. Afzal said that the procured medical equipment will strengthen Pakistan’s ability to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.
NDMA has devised a three-phase strategy to enforce preventive measures against the coronavirus outbreak, Chairman NDMA briefed.
In the first phase, NDMA will ensure that every overseas Pakistani returning to the country is tested for the coronavirus. During the second phase, NDMA will arrange 1,200 ventilators to treat critically ill patients. In the last phase, the authority will arrange additional 4,000 ventilators across Pakistan.
Lt. Gen. Afzal said that China is helping Pakistan fight the coronavirus. After the confirmation of the first coronavirus case in the country, China sent 14 tons of essential medical supplies and 15 ventilators to Pakistan.
Moreover, Chinese health experts are set to visit Pakistan in the coming days to assess its preparedness to contain the disease. The Chinese experts will also train Pakistani healthcare workers to better deal with coronavirus.
Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, will donate 500,000 face masks and 50,000 testing kits to Pakistan in the coming weeks, Lt. Gen. Afzal revealed.
NDMA is now preparing face masks, hazmat suits, and sanitizers for the frontline healthcare workers dealing with the crisis. Engineers at NDMA have also designed an indigenous ventilator that would be shown to the Chairman today.
Via: APP
