Kathmandu, June 8: In response to the request of the Government of Nepal, 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.    

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

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.    

The German cooperation, being received under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, contains 62 ventilators; 27,500 FFP2 masks; 30,000 surgical masks; 100 gum boots; 200 body bags; 5 isolation centre tents; and 25,000 litres of disinfectant. Some of the items are being shipped at a later date.