DILI, 25 august 2020 (TATOLI) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) handed over to the Ministry of Health (MoH) one of the largest shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be brought into Timor-Leste since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
The supplies will be used for case management of COVID-19 as well as to ensure that the health workers are having the necessary tools to continue to safely provide routine and essential health services.
The Minister of Health Odete Maria Freitas Belo said Ministry of Health is warmly welcomed this significant shipment of PPE which will go long way in protecting the health workers.
“This is not only for our front line health workers, but also for people across Timor-Leste who access healthcare center and services, thus we are grateful for UNICEF for ensuring the high quality of the critical equipment that arrived at a critical situation when our country fight against COVID-19, and also when we cannot afford to let our guard down,” Minister of Health Odete Maria Freitas Belo said at handover ceremony that took place at SAMES, Kampu Alor Dili.
The UNICEF’s Representative in Timor-Leste Valeria Taton said UNICEF is extremely pleased to support the Ministry of Health in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by handing over one of the largest shipments of PPE to ever be brought into the country.
“These supplies are absolutely crucial to ensure that we are protecting both our front line healthcare workers, children and families everywhere, who must be able to continue accessing essential and routine health services in a safe environment.” Ms. Taton said.
The equipment, totaling more than 100,000 individual items, includes surgical and N95 masks, face shields, safety goggles, surgical and examination gloves, protective coveralls and recyclable shoe covers.
These PPE will be distributed to isolation centers and to frontline health workers in more than 70 healthcare centers across the country, in all 13 municipalities.
This shipment of supplies was made possible and funding from the Asian Development Bank, GAVI – The Vaccine Alliance, the European Union, and UNICEF Australia.
And the other procurement of these items was donated from the Australian Public to UNICEF Austrlia’s COVID-19 appeal.
The handover ceremony took place at the SAMES Central Medical Store in Dili and was attended by the Minister of Health Odete Maria Freitas Belo,Ms. Valerie Taton, UNICEF Representative in Timor-Leste; Dr Rajesh Pandav, Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator and Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Timor-Leste; Australia’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste Peter Roberts, Ambassador of the European Union in Timor-Leste, Andrew Jacobs; Mr. Jose Pereira, Acting Director of the Asian Development Bank in Timor-Leste; and other partners.
TATOLI
