WASHINGTON/DHAKA, June 8 (NNN-BSS) — The United States (US) Monday delivered to Bangladesh its most recent shipment of emergency medical supplies to save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the country’s people.
This latest delivery, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), brought the total of US pandemic assistance to more than $84 million to Bangladesh, a US embassy press release issued in Dhaka said.
The supply included critical personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals and other frontline workers, as well as fingertip pulse oximeters which, by measuring patients’ blood oxygen levels, help better manage and determine timely critical care interventions.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R. Miller handed over the supply to Director General (Americas) Toufiq Islam Shatil of foreign ministry at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital.
“For 50 years, the United States has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Bangladesh. We will continue to fight this pandemic with Bangladesh until the crisis is over.” Miller said while handing over the supplies.
On June 3, the White House announced in WASHINGTON its plan to share vaccines directly with Bangladesh as part of a framework to provide 80 million vaccine doses globally by the end of the month that includes 7 million doses destined for Asia.
Also this month, USAID sent two more flights, one of which was also supported by the US Department of Defense, with additional personal protective equipment to Dhaka to support Bangladesh’s response efforts, said the release.
Together, it said, these deliveries build on the United States’ ongoing efforts to mitigate the challenges posed by the pandemic in Bangladesh, it added.
The recent shipments added over $2 million to the total $84 million US government contribution to Bangladesh.
This support builds on the more than $1 billion in U.S. health assistance the US has provided Bangladesh over the past 20 years and underscores the long-term U.S. commitment to ensuring access to quality, lifesaving health services for the people of Bangladesh. — NNN-BSS
