Kinley Wangchuk | Intern

To strengthen Bhutan’s response to Covid-19, Her Majesty Galyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck, the Co-Chair of the Bhutan Foundation, presided over the handing over ceremony of essential health equipment, medical transport vehicles, and PPE worth USD 259,000 to health ministry yesterday.

The donation included an autoclave machine to sterilize medical equipment at the Mongar hospital, 110 oxygen cylinders for distribution to different hospitals, a bio-decontamination machine for the Royal Center for Disease Control, two medical trucks for transport of medical supplies, and 17,368 N95 masks for medical use.

This support was a part of the USD 1 million in assistance USAID provided to the Bhutan Foundation to strengthen Bhutan’s healthcare capacity for the pandemic prevention, readiness and response, and support microenterprises.

“Bhutan Foundation has been an instrumental partner to the Ministry of Health since 2009, contributing greatly to building our emergency services,” Health Minister, Dechen Wangmo said.

The activity helped Bhutan increase its diagnostic laboratory capabilities and clinical case management, providing virtual training for health care providers and lab personnel, and developing communications materials on Covid-19.

“We have now installed endoscopy services in almost eight of our major hospitals, where they are outreaching to various communities so that people with cancer do not have to travel all the way to Thimphu to avail the services,” the Lyonpo said.

Meanwhile, last year, the Bhutan Foundation delivered 200,000 non-medical face-masks.

Edited by Tshering Palden