On behalf of The Government of Rwanda, The Ministry of Health has received 100 new state-of-the-art ventilators donated by The United States of America to support the fight against COVID19. Donated through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the ventilators are a result of the conversation that President Paul Kagame had with his US counterpart Donald Trump earlier this year. The equipment comes in to support Rwanda’s preparation to deal with critically ill Covid-19 patients.
“These ventilators were produced specifically for Rwanda, and are made possible by the generosity of the American people. They are compact, portable and will give Rwanda flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus,” said U.S Ambassador to Rwanda , Peter Vrooman.
“These devices are critical to Rwanda’s response to COVID-19 and could save many lives in health facilities across the country,” added the Ambassador.
Branded “Zoll Portable Critical Care Ventilators,” they are a leading-edge and in-demand technology for assisting Covid-19 patients breathe and they give Rwanda a powerful tool to treat critically ill patients affected by the virus, they can be operated invasively or non-invasively.
According to Peter Vrooman, the ventilators are valued at over Rwf1 billion, and will be accompanied with training to assist local doctors and nurses deploy them effectively should critically ill patients require them. The donation builds on Rwf 10 billion the U.S has already dedicated to fighting COVID-19 in Rwanda.
On behalf of The Government of Rwanda, Minister of Health DR. Ngamije M Daniel said the donation comes in handy to complement the already existent 87 ventilators in the country.
“These ventilators will be installed in 10 government hospitals and 4 COVID19 treatment centres across the country. The government of Rwanda will make sure that the remaining accessories and facilitation are procured and availed to the site as soon as possible,” said the Health Minister.
Dr. Ngamije referred to the donation as an enormous contribution during the unprecedented moment of the COVID-19 pandemic hailing President Donald Trump’s generosity and support to the Rwandan people. (End)