US donates ventilators to Health Ministry

THE US Government on Thursday donated eight brand-new ventilators to the Health Ministry to support Trinidad and Tobago's fight against covid19.

A statement issued by the US Embassy in Port of Spain said, "This donation is part of a broader effort by the US Government to provide critical healthcare equipment and supplies to TT during the global pandemic."

The cost of the ventilators was morre than US $136,000. US chargé d’affaires Shante Moore presented them to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at the ministry on Park Street, Port of Spain.

The embassy said the ventilators, produced in the US, are highly specialised, state-of the art medical equipment that will help TT in treating those patients most seriously affected by advanced covid19 symptoms.

Moore said, “During the pandemic, the US has donated over US$2 million worth of facilities, equipment, and other resources to the Government of TT to to help in the fight against this pandemic. This co-operation between our two countries exemplifies the bilateral strategic relationship the US aspires to have with TT.”

Saying the ventilators will save lives, he added that TT "can continue to count on the US to be a key partner in our joint efforts to protect the health and safety of our citizens, whether combatting the pandemic or working together in other areas of mutual interest.”

In accepting the donation, Deyalsingh thanked the US Government and said the covid19 pandemic had deepened US-TT relations.

Deyalsingh said two of the eight ventilators will be sent to Tobago.

Additional support from the US to help TT deal with the pandemic includes a donation of 305,370 doses of the Pfizer covid19 vaccine and two field hospitals.

Set up at the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility and the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo, the latter were designed to provide additional bed capacity to reduce strain on the parallel health care system established to deal with covid19 patients.

The field hospital at the Jean Pierre Complex was closed last month, but its tents were not dismantled and continue to be used by the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) for covid19-related purposes. The field hospital at Couva is still in operation.