Guyana is expecting to soon receive some 30,000 masks and other essential equipment, including ventilators, from China to aid in the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“…An estimated 30,000 masks and a number of ventilators and other essential medical equipment are in fact on their way to Guyana,” Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said yesterday.
The items were shipped based on a request made by the government to China for assistance.
Nagamootoo, Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) made this disclosure yesterday while responding to questions during a virtual press conference.
He explained that the government has approached a number of countries for assistance. A number of these requests, he said, are still being processed. “The Minister of Finance has reported to us that he has approached a number of institutions and some of these institutions are in the process of dealing with the request for assistance,” Nagamootoo said.
He further related that the government has also approached India for financial help through its US$14 million grant to Caribbean countries. “We are making approaches …it’s a low hanging fruit, as it were, to utilise Guyana’s allocation for supplies relevant to the COVID-19 in Guyana,” he said.
Late last month, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan had announced that this country had sought a US$5 million loan from the World Bank to implement measures for tackling the virus, which has already had a devastating global impact and continues to spread.
“We have already sent a request to the World Bank to access funding under their (the bank’s) Rapid Response Facility and we know the request is being considered,” he said. “We do not know if it will do, but let us say it is an initial request…if it (COVID-19) gets out of hand, we will see if to make another request,” he had said.
Nagamootoo yesterday said that while Guyana is still awaiting a response from the World Bank, he is not aware of any loans or grants that were requested for so far being denied.
“I can say this though that Guyana has not been deemed disqualified from receiving any assistance from anywhere,” he noted.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister stated that the Ministry of Public Health is also considering whether it is necessary to import medical practitioners from Cuba to assist in the fight against the disease.
“…From last week, I know that some request had been made to us to have an approach to Cuba for more medical personnel and nurses….If in fact their assessment is that they need these personnel at this time or at any time and whether this is actively being contemplated,” the Task Force will have to be informed since they are now responsible for granting permission for chartered flights as the main ports of entry are closed to all International fights.
