Medical supplies from Switzerland, USA, and China to arrive today

Published On: May 22, 2021 10:36 AM NPT By: Republica

KATHMANDU, May 22: Medical supplies from the United States of America (USA) and Switzerland will arrive in Nepal today to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the medical supplies from Switzerland will arrive today by 9AM and the supplies from the US will reach the Tribhuvan International Airport at 1PM in their own aircraft.

Switzerland has proposed to provide ventilators, concentrators, and oxygen cylinders as an assistance to battle the second wave of COVID-19. According to the spokesperson for the health ministry, Dr Jageshwar Gautam, the details about the medical supplies from the US are not known at the moment. Also, medical supplies including oxygen cylinders are also set to arrive from China today.

Medical supplies including oxygen concentrators, monitors and ventilators provided by the Spanish government were handed over to the health ministry on Friday. Similarly, World Vision International has handed over 1,212 pulse oximeters, 1,215 sets of PPE, 20 units of oxygen concentrators, 1,012 thermometers, 1,400 oxygen cylinders and 24 beds to the ministry as well. The Non-Resident Nepali Association has also provided 560 sets of oxygen regulators to the ministry of health and population.

177 COVID-19 patients die of the virus

The death toll from COVID-19 has reached 6,024 inside the country. As many as 177 patients succumbed to the virus on Friday. As many as 2,112 people have died of COVID-19 since the second wave of the virus surged in the beginning of April. Among the deceased, half were above the age of sixty. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the death rate of the infected patients is 1.21 percent.

Infection Rate at 34 percent

The COVID-19 infection rate has reached 34 percent in Nepal. As many as 8,607 people tested positive for COVID-19 among the 23,266 samples tested in the past 24 hours. Over 243,286 people have been affected by the second wave of the virus since its start. Currently, there are 113,112 active cases of COVID-19 inside the country, out of which 108,415 are in home isolation, 7,697 are in institutional isolation while 1,716 are being treated in ICUs. Similarly, 511 patients are undergoing treatment with the support of ventilators.

As many as 2,447 infections were recorded on Friday. Among them, 1,881 are undergoing treatment in high dependency units (HDUs) while 483 are in ICUs and 117 on ventilators.