December 11, 2020: U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz presented Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment yesterday to the Maldivian Ministry of Health and the Maldivian National Defense Force to support their continued COVID-19 response.
The ICU donation, which is worth $165,000, includes 40 oxygen concentrators and associated equipment. This equipment will help Maldivian hospitals care for patients suffering from COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases, aiding medical workers and first responders by providing a portable source of therapeutic oxygen that can be used with ventilators donated by the United States earlier in the global pandemic. The U.S. Department of Defense provided the funding for the equipment, a durable resource that will serve Maldivians with non-COVID health challenges even after the pandemic has ended.
“Once more, the United States is finding ways to support Maldivian health care workers in their fight against COVID-19 to safeguard the health of Maldivians,” said Ambassador Teplitz. “This donation builds on a broader U.S. effort to strengthen the Maldivian health system.”
In September, the United States donated 60 brand new, state-of-the-art ventilators to Maldives, providing a vital life-saving resource to patients affected by the virus. Overall, the United States is funding nearly $3 million in tailored support that expands COVID-19-related social protection services and provides technical assistance to the government in developing effective economic responses to the pandemic.
- Dhivehi translation (PDF 75 KB)
