KATHMANDU: The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has extended support of medical equipment and supplies to help Nepal fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of ongoing cooperation between Germany and Nepal to contain its rapid surge in COVID-19 infections, Germany has supported Nepal with 112 ventilators, 2,068,500 K95 masks, 29,000 pulse oximeters, 34,030,000 surgical masks, 5 isolation centre tents, 400 gum boots, 25,000 litre hand disinfectants and others items.

The first part of the shipment arrived on Tuesday in Kathmandu.

German Ambassador to Nepal, Roland Schafer, handed over the consignment to Sher Bahadur Tamang, Minister for Health and Population, at a ceremony held at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Tuesday morning.

Talking to Khabarhub at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Tuesday, German Ambassador Roland Schafer said, “This German support of today is part of a bigger European effort. I am grateful to the European Civil Protection Mechanism for ensuring coordination amongst all EU Members States and for organising our transport logistics.”

“I am confident that here in Nepal, through the Nepali tracking system eLMIS, these goods will reach the places in Nepal where they are really needed”, he added.

He further stated, “We also need more vaccines, to make us all safe. The EU has already exported 240 million doses to 90 countries, which is about as much as we have used within the EU.”

The German Ambassador also said that the European industrial partners have committed to deliver 1.3 billion doses of vaccines before the end of 2021 to low-income countries at no-profit and to middle-income countries at lower prices.

“This is the real effect of “Team Europe”. Nepal should be able to receive or purchase its share of vaccines by the end of the year”, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Tamang conveyed the gratitude of the Government and people of Nepal to the Government and friendly people of Germany for their generous support.

Hailing the German medical cooperation as a gesture befitting the longstanding Nepal-Germany friendship, the Minister stated that the materials would be critical in containing the surge of COVID-19 cases and treatment of the affected people.

In recent weeks, Nepal has received a series of shipments from EU Member states (Spain, Finland, France and Belgium) and more to come.

The shipment from Germany is also facilitated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to the Government of Nepal’s call for support.

Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union Nona Deprez; Ambassador of Finland Pertti Anttinen; and French Ambassador Francois-Xavier LEGER were also present on the occasion.