HCMC – Over 6.2 tons of medical equipment donated by Vietnamese people in the United States for Vietnam’s Covid-19 fight arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport today, August 25.
The medical supplies comprise 250 respirators, five ventilators, 9,000 rapid test kits, 600 protective gears, 2,500 face shields and 60,000 medical masks, according to Vietnam Airlines, which transported the batch.
The donation, worth some US$1 million, following the call from the Vietnamese Embassy in San Francisco, was aimed at helping the country put the raging coronavirus under control.
After receiving the shipment, the Ministry of Health will allocate the medical equipment to hospitals and Covid treatment facilities nationwide.
This has been the second direct flight between Vietnam and the United States since the U.S. agency granted a license to Vietnam Airlines to operate 12 flights to repatriate Vietnamese people this year, said the air carrier.
This is also the first time a flight operated by a Vietnamese airline has been licensed for transporting goods between the two countries.
Vietnam Airlines said that it had transported some 6,000 medical workers in many provinces and cities to virus-hit areas to join the Covid fight and transported over 200 tons of medical supplies, including vaccine doses, test kits, ventilators and protective gear, for free.
By Minh Duy
