By Sylvester Kumwenda

Minister of Heath, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda (L)-receiving part of the donation from Japanese Ambassador, Satoshi Iwakili

Lilongwe, Mana: Government of Japan has donated 126 assorted medical equipment worth K2.2 billion aimed at easing existing challenges in government hospitals in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

The equipment include 25 bedside monitors, six defibrillators, 22 blood gas analysers,  five  portable ultrasound scanners and 234 oxygen generators amongst others, which have been distributed to Mzuzu and Queen Elizabeth Central hospitals, Mzimba district hospital and Malamulo Adventist hospital.

Minister of Health, Khumbize Chiponda who received the donation on behalf of government, said the donation was timely and would positively impact operations in the designated hospitals.

“As a Ministry and country at large, we really appreciate this timely gesture from the government of Japan.

“Much as it comes to help us in the fight against COVID-19, this goes beyond the pandemic because amongst the list of the equipment, there are portable scanners, ICU beds and other equipment which can be used on other patients as well.

“These are the things which we can never have enough in our hospitals as our population continues to grow on a daily basis,” she said.

Chiponda urged Malawians to continue observing stipulated COVID-19 preventative regulations as contrary to the recent perceptions; the numbers of patients being admitted in hospitals wass slowly rising.

Japanese Ambassador to Malawi, Satoshi Iwakiri said the pandemic has caused a lot of challenges including the need for medical necessities which he said have increased exponentially.

He said Japan remains committed in helping Malawi in various endeavours including in the fight against COVID-19, but called for the good care of the received equipment.

“It is my sincere wish that the medical personnel in the recipient hospitals will commit to care and maintenance of the equipment in order to serve the people of Malawi for a long time.

“On the other hand, I would like to commend the government of Malawi in particular the ministry of health for your efforts in management of Covid-19 in the country,” Iwakiri added.

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