Chinese govt-donated medical logistics in city

The 2nd batch of medical logistics, including 10,000 testing kits, 10,000 personal  protective equipment (PPE) and 1,000 infrared thermometers, arrived here from Kunming, China on Thursday afternoon.

The medical logistics were brought by a special aircraft of the government of China to help Bangladesh fight the COVID-19, reports UNB. 

The special flight carrying the medical logistics landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 4:25pm, an official at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka told UNB.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming and Bangladesh government officials were present at the airport.

In the face of this unprecedented global pandemic, China reiterated its strong commitment to helping friends in need and building a community of shared future for mankind. "We are together," said the Embassy.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said the government is working to have adequate stock of medical logistics to deal with the situation. 

"We need it. We need to have enough stock," he said adding that the government is also allowing private companies to import testing kits and other medical logistics. 

China recently announced its decision to donate emergency medical supplies, including a large number of test kits, to Bangladesh to fight coronavirus or Covid-19.

This Chinese Emergency Humanitarian Aid Project includes coronavirus test kits for 10,000 people, 15,000 medical N95 masks, 10,000 medical protective clothing and 1,000 infrared thermometers.

Meanwhile, two special flights from China will soon arrive in Dhaka with the donated medical supplies from Jack Ma Foundation to contain COVID-19 in Bangladesh. 

The first flight will fly from Changsha on March 28 and will contain 30,000 coronavirus testing reagents.

The second flight will take off from Ningbo on the same day and will contain 300,000 masks, including 30,000 N95 medical masks and 270,000 single-use surgical masks.

These two special flights will land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh Ambassador to China Mahbub Uz Zaman, who is touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told UNB on Wednesday. 

Earlier, Jack Ma, co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, announced to help Bangladesh and some other Asian nations contain the spread of coronavirus.

Ma promised to donate emergency supplies, including masks, test kits, protective suits, plus ventilators and thermometers.  

The other nations are – Afghanistan, Cambodia, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Local companies are also producing PPE and masks to address the needs.

Bangladesh announced its first coronavirus cases on March 8.