(Eagle News) – The World Health Organization donated more than a million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other medical devices to the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, Oct. 5, to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III received the various health commodities donated by WHO at the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office.
WHO turned over personal protective equipment (PPEs) such as gowns (230,900 pcs), KN95 masks (405,000 pcs), face shields (187,800 pcs), googles (159,540 pcs) and surgical masks (552,000 pcs).
The WHO also handed over 350 units of oxygen concentrators, a medical device used for breathing-related disorders caused by low oxygen concentration in the blood.
The international organization was represented by its Officer-in-Charge and Acting Country Representative to the Philippines, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.
Duque thanked WHO for its continued support to the Philippines’ COVID-19 response and in managing other pre-COVID pandemics like polio and measles.
“The way to defeat any pandemic is to collectively work and fight against it. With the WHO and other partner organizations, both from the public and private sector, fighting this battle alongside us, we are confident that we can beat this pandemic and we will recover as one,” he said.
Duque again asked the public to strictly observe minimum health standards.
He said that all the PPEs would not be of any use if people would not observe social distancing, frequent hand washing and sanitizing of the home and the workplace, and wearing of face masks and face shields in public.
The donation from WHO Philippines are part of its humanitarian aid donation for COVID-19 response based on the global allotment of the WHO Headquarters.
The DOH said that these would be turned over to the Office of Civil Defense.
(Eagle News Service)
