KATHMANDU: The European Union (EU) has mobilized an initial EURO 2 million (NPR 282 million) in humanitarian funding to Nepal to support monitoring of all home isolated cases through telehealth and telemedicine services and rapid referral to hospitals.

Likewise, the support will also be used for national emergency medical teams deployment and international emergency medical teams mobilization facilitation; procure COVID-19 equipment and supplies in Nepal.

Nepal had earlier requested EU assistance to help contain the explosion in COVID-19 cases.

According to a press statement issued by the EU, key equipment and supplies will include oxygen equipment including oxygen gas cylinders, oxygen concentrators, home care kits, diagnostics including antigen test kits; personal protection equipment.

Nepal has also activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Finland is the first Member State to offer more than 2 million surgical facemasks, 350,000 FFP2 masks, 52,500 pairs of vinyl gloves, and 30,000 isolation gowns.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “The COVID-19 surge in Nepal is claiming more lives every minute as it spreads across the country. We stand in full solidarity with Nepal in its fight against the pandemic. We are quickly mobilizing emergency support with initial €2 million funding. I am very thankful to Finland for their quick offers of assistance via our Civil Protection Mechanism. We stand ready to provide further assistance.”