DILI, 15 november 2021 (TATOLI) – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) handed over medical supplies to the Ministry of Health.
“It is our pleasure to hold the third handover of medical supplies which have been successfully procured and shipped by UNDP Office on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste,” UNDP Resident Representative, Munkhtuya Altangerel made the comments at the handover ceremony held at SAMES office, in Dili, today.
She said a total of 86 different categories of medical commodities have arrived in Dili and stored at SAMES since early July 2021 despite the continuous challenges encountered in the shipment process.
The commodities which had been handed over to MoH include 53 different categories of essential medicines, 21 different categories of Covid-19 diagnostic/testing kits, 10 different categories of medical equipment and instrument/accessories, and two different categories of body bags for children and adults.
The medicines include 500.000 tablets of Paracetamol 500gr; 450.000 tablets of Diclofenac sodium 50 mg gastro-resistant; 125.000 ampoules of Diclofenac sodium 25 mg/ml injection 3 ml; 200.000 coated tablets of Hysciene butyl bromide 10 mg; 101.000 of Almodipine 10mg tabs; 100.000 tablets of Chlorpromazine 100 mg coated; 100.000 tablets of Clopidogrel 75 mg; 100.000 bottles of multivitamin syrup; 55.000 bottles of amoxicillin 125mg/5ml powder for suspension 100ml.
Altangerel said that these medicines have been sourced and purchased from Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Durbin, France, Germany, Greece, India, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.
In addition, the diagnostic or the testing kits include four million individual units of different sizes of tips and pipettors; 25.000 units of Qiagen viral RNA; 35.000 of TaqPathTM COVID-19 RT-PCR Kit for multiplex real-time RT-PCR test intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2; and 26.000 units of MagMAX Viral/Pathogen II Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit which is a magnetic bead technology-based nucleic acid purification kit intended for the isolation and purification of viral RNA and DNA from human nasopharyngeal swabs.
These diagnostic kits have been sourced and purchased from China, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, the UK, and the USA
“Out of the available fund of US$ 5.400.000, UNDP has utilized US$ 5.348.696, 01 or 99.05% to purchase medicines, diagnostic items, consumables, body bags, equipment, instruments, shipment/insurance, and UNDP service fees,” she said.
At the same place, the Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo said the medical supplies were purchased through good cooperation between UNDP and the government of Timor-Leste.
“These medicines are essential and will be distributed to the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV) and other medical centers across the country,” she said.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
