Japan handed over medical equipment worth USD 6.5 million to the government of Maldives on Tuesday.
Ambassador of Japan to Maldives Keiko Yanai presented the equipment to Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem at a ceremony held at the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC).
According to the Embassy of Japan, the equipment includes 65 bedside monitors, 19 portable ultrasound machines, 19 defibrillators, 10 portable X-Ray machines, 132 syringe pumps and 132 syringe pump accessories.
The two countries signed the Exchange of Notes for the USD 5.6 million grant in June 2020, which aims to support the Maldivian government in improving health services in regional hospitals and across the atolls, as well as strengthen the COVID-19 response capacity.
"COVID-19 is a global crisis that pressingly calls for our collective and cooperative efforts to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus, strengthen the healthcare systems and minimize the impact of the socio-economic challenges of the vulnerable", stated the embassy.
The Japanese government has made notable donations to aid the island nation's pandemic response last year, as well as extended a number of grants to enhance the overall health sector.
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