In support of the Philippines’s COVID-19 pandemic response, the Australian and American governments donated oxygen concentrators and RT-PCR extraction kits, respectively.
Australia donated about 100 oxygen concentrators to the country, which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Saturday (Aug. 28).
Such equipment can filter oxygen molecules from the ambient air to provide patients with 90% to 95% pure oxygen.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced the donation on Monday (Aug. 23) during the Philippines-Australia ministerial meeting.
“These critical medical supplies will help the Department of Health to respond to the current increase in COVID-19 cases,” Payne said.
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), also donated some RT-PCR extraction kits to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) on Friday (Aug. 27).
The RT-PCR extraction kits are equivalent to 3,000 tests, which aim to support the tracking of different COVID-19 variants in the country.
“We hope that these kits will continue to strengthen testing and genomic surveillance capability of the [PGC] as we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19,” USAID Philippines Office of Health Director Michelle Lang-Alli said in a statement. – Report from PTV News / CF – bny
