Save the Children under the Global Fund Project handed over seven units of mechanical ventilators to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to support the government’s efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The full-fledged ICU ventilators worth NPR 17,530,537.50 and they will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Rajan Bhattarai, Interim Chief of Party, Global Fund Project/Save the Children handed over the support to Dr. Roshan Pokharel, Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) Chair and Chief Specialist, Ministry of Health and Population. The ventilators will be installed in MoHP identified sites.

“Responding to the acute shortage of ICU ventilators, Save the Children under the Global Fund Project is supporting seven units of mechanical ventilators to further strengthen the government’s COVID-19 response, and ensure that critical life-saving support is provided to the most marginalized, especially, women, and children,” shared, Virendra Thagunna, Acting Deputy Country Director of Save the Children. With the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, there has been an increase in demand for ventilators to provide treatment to COVID-19 patients.

Similarly, as part of the COVID-19 response, Save the Children through the Global Fund project also handed over a high throughput PCR sample extraction machine to the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL). Along with 20,000 pcs of RNA extraction reagents, and 20,000 pcs of 20,000 of RT-PCR reagents to use in PCR testing labs all over Nepal.

Save the Children has been in the forefront of the COVID-19 response and has been collaborating with government line-ministries in both the federal and local level to strengthen COVID-19 health services by providing medical and non-medical supplies, supporting the management of quarantine centers, promoting effective WASH management and child protection systems, and development of COVID-19 life-saving media messages.