US donates PPE to support Sri Lanka in fight against Covid-19

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The US Department of Defense (DOD) has funded the donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other materials to Sri Lanka.

Under the ‘All of America’ initiative, the US has donated safety equipment to support the country in its battle against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

It will further strengthen Sri Lanka’s readiness to respond to public health emergencies and improve its “flexibility, agility, and resilience in the disaster response sector”.

The donation included more than 48,000 masks, safety goggles and isolation gowns with hoods.

All equipment was procured from within the country to help Sri Lankan businesses recover from the economic impact of the virus.

The donations were distributed to eight health care facilities in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and disaster relief authorities.

The facilities include Kandy District Health Directorate, Colombo East First Responders, Colombo BIA First Responders, Kilinochchi General Hospital, Vavuniya Regional Health Center, Jaffna Government Hospital, Gampaha Hospital and Batticaloa Health Services.

Sri Lanka and Maldives US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz said: “The US is proud to assist Sri Lanka’s frontline responders as they care for Sri Lankans suffering from coronavirus.

“Helping to protect these healthcare workers while supporting Sri Lankan businesses and jobs is just one component of our deep friendship.”

Earlier this year, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defense placed an order with US military contractor GTX Corp for its global positioning system and Track & Trace solutions.