KATHMANDU, June 8: Germany has provided 112 ventilators, 2,068,500 K95 masks, 29,000 pulse oximeters, 34,030,000 surgical masks, five isolation centre tents, 400 gumboots, 25,000 litres of hand disinfectants and others items as a part of its support to Nepal to fight against COVID-19. The first part of the shipment arrived in Nepal on Tuesday.
“This German support of today is part of a bigger European effort. I am grateful to the European Civil Protection Mechanism for ensuring coordination amongst all EU Member States and for organising our transport logistics. And I am confident that here in Nepal, through the Nepali tracking system eLMIS, these goods will reach the places in Nepal where they are really needed,” said German Ambassador to Nepal, Roland Schäfer.
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In recent weeks, Nepal has received a series of shipments from EU Member states (Spain, Finland, France and Belgium) and more to come. The Shipment from Germany is also facilitated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to the Government of Nepal’s call for support.
The materials were handed over to Minister for Health and Population, Sher Bahadur Tamang by German Ambassador Schäfer. Ambassadors of the Delegation of the European Union, France and Finland were also present on the occasion.
“We also need more vaccines, to make us all safe. The EU has already exported 240 million doses to 90 countries, which is about as much as we have used within the EU. And the European industrial partners have committed to deliver 1.3 billion doses of vaccines before the end of 2021 to low-income countries at no-profit and to middle-income countries at lower prices. This is the real effect of “Team Europe”. Nepal should be able to receive or purchase its share of vaccines by the end of the year,” added German Ambassador Schäfer.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Tamang conveyed the gratitude of the government and people of Nepal to the government and friendly people of Germany for their generous support. Hailing the German medical cooperation as a gesture befitting the longstanding Nepal-Germany friendship, Minister Tamang stated that the materials would be critical in containing the surge of COVID-19 cases and treatment of the affected people.
The German cooperation is being received under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. The first part of the shipment that arrived on Tuesday contains 62 ventilators; 27,500 FFP2 masks; 30,000 surgical masks; 100 gumboots; 200 body bags; five isolation centre tents; and 25,000 litres of disinfectant. The remaining other items are being shipped at a later date.
