Mary Leonard, at the Premier Medical Warehouse, Jabi, Abuja, in fulfillment of the promise by the US President, Donald Trump, during a telephone conversation with his Nigerian counterpart, Major General, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in April.

Ehanire described the breathing apparatus as a critical component of the response strategy to save the lives of COVID-19 patients, noting that the equipment would be of great benefit to Nigerians.

While expressing the President’s appreciation for the gesture, Ehanire noted that the disease hd drastically affected the world, adding that the severity of the outbreak had impacted health systems, economy and social structures of all nations.

He highlighted the steps so far taken by the Federal Government to combat the infection and commended the United States Agency for International Development, the US Centre for Disease Control and the envoy for their interest and engagement in Nigeria.

“I conclude by requesting the United States Government to lend its full weight to the global efforts to find efficacious therapeutics and vaccines to neutralise the threat of COVID-19 to the global community and to guarantee fair allocation to all countries and people,” Ehanire stated.

The US envoy described the ventilators as compact and portable, adding that they could easily be mobilised to reach patients with the most severe symptoms of COVID-19. 

Leonard said their arrival fulfilled Trump’s commitment and the pledge he made to Buhari earlier this year, noting that the USAID would work very closely over the next couple of weeks with the Ministry of Health and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to distribute the ventilators across all the states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“Our support includes training on the use and maintenance of this equipment and ensuring that the ventilators can address other respiratory illnesses in the years beyond the virus,” she stated.

source: Punch