UAE donates MVR 77.3 million in medical equipment, including a PCR machine

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Monday, donated MVR 77.3 million in medical equipment to the Maldives to aid in its combat against the new coronavirus pandemic.

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Monday afternoon, said the donations included a real time PCR system, a PCR extraction machine, a PCR test kit which can be used to conduct 30,000 tests, hand sanitizer, and Personal Protective Equipment including disposable coveralls, shoe cover, face mask, face shield and gloves.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the PCR machine donated by UAE has the capacity to process 96 samples per hour, and is expected to considerably speed up COVID-19 testing in Maldives.

The MVR 77.3 million in medical equipment donated by the UAE weighs 70 metric tonnes, and was airlifted to Maldives on a special flight.

DETAILS OF THE DONATED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT:

• 100,000 bottles of hand sanitizer
• 225,000 KN 95 masks
• 2,500,000 surgical masks
• 5,000 boxes of gloves (100 gloves per box)
• 75,000 disposable gowns
• 10,000 face shields
• PCR extraction machine
• 30,000 diagnostic extraction kits
• Two real-time PCR systems

Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid had a telephonic conversation with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on April 10, during which he provided an update on the coronavirus situation in Maldives, and provided information on areas in which Maldives requires assistant in its national efforts to curb the outbreak.

Shahid thanked the government and the people of UAE for the generous assistance.

He said the contribution will help boost Maldives testing capacity and testing rate.

He said the assistance was particularly timely as it had arrived with Maldives beginning to relax its restrictions and embark on a “new normal”.

The UAE has been providing assistance to Maldives since the late 1970s, in particular towards infrastructure development.