Today, Estonia donated to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (GIES) essential equipment in amount €50,000 to prevent and control the spread of novel coronavirus. Four tunnel field tents, with a capacity of 15 places each, four warm air fans and five ecological toilettes were offered. This equipment will be used to set mobile centers for quarantine, pre-triage and epidemiological triage near hospital units or other public institutions.

“There is no doubt that we can only be successful in fighting the pandemic of novel coronavirus if we work together. In Estonian tradition working together means first of all helping your friends. Moldova is a friend we have been and will be helping both in good and difficult times with our expertise and assistance,” said Olga Goncearova, Head of the Embassy Office of Estonia in Chisinau.

Specialists note that epidemiological triage during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential in limiting the spread. Such field tents are used all over the world both as triage centers for people presumptive for COVID-19, as well as temporary hospitals for patients before admitting them in designated strategic medical institutions.

Mihail Harabagiu, Head of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, highlighted: “Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic is a common goal, and the support provided will certainly contribute to saving human lives, but also to preventing new risks for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova”.

The donation is offered through UNDP, which partners with Estonia as well for the construction of five community firefighters’ and rescuers’ stations in Moldova, which will cover rural communities with a total population of over 58,000 inhabitants.

“As the pandemic accelerates and puts more pressure on the public health system and the institutions involved in emergency response, greater attention must be paid to the prevention measures and strengthening the capacities of the institutions on the frontline. We are delighted to hand-over today 4 lots of mobile triage centers thanks to the partnership and generous support of the Government of Estonia. These are essential key instruments to limit the spread of the disease and to manage adequately the patients’ flow in the regions of Moldova,” noted Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative for the Republic of Moldova.

Estonia helped Moldova to overcome the consequences of the disastrous floods of 2010 and supports development projects in areas such as healthcare, electronic governance, economic development, anti-corruption, people-to-people projects, development of rural area, etc.

Since the very first days of the outbreak, UNDP has been supporting the Republic of Moldova as part of the UN and development partners’ joint response to the crisis generated by COVID-19. UNDP cooperates with national authorities to help them in procuring essential medical equipment and devices. At the same time, UNDP supports the country’s long-term recovery needs’ assessment.