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The first shipment of critical medical supplies was delivered to the Republic of Moldova today, as part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) efforts to support the authorities in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gowns will help Moldova’s frontline health personnel combat the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection received the first shipment, part of a first US$200,000 agreement between the SDC and UNDP. The supplies will be delivered to heath facilities which are experiencing shortages due to unprecedented demand as a result of the outbreak. Additional personal protective equipment will be arriving soon, which are vital to reduce the infection risk facing the frontline health personnel.
“Protective personal equipment provided by the Swiss Government will be delivered to strategic hospitals from Moldova,” said Caroline Tissot, Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova. “It will help frontline medical personnel in their daily work aiming at containing and eliminating the COVID-19 virus, an effort for which we are all tremendously grateful.”
“At this critical time, UNDP stands by the side of Moldova,” said UNDP Resident Representative for the Republic of Moldova, Dima Al-Khatib. “We are closely working with the authorities, as part of the UN and development partners’ common response, to assist the procurement of critical medical supplies, assess the longer-term recovery needs and help the country develop a multi-sectoral inclusive response to the pandemic to protect its people and economy leaving no one behind.”
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was registered in Moldova on 7 March and 298 cases have since been reported. The UN Development System in Moldova has been actively supporting the national response to the pandemic through the coordinated activities aiming to protect people, increase capacities of the healthcare system and reduce the economic and social shocks.
