LAHORE: The US government on Monday donated oxygen commodities and seven refrigerated trucks to strengthen the healthcare system in Punjab.

US Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schoffer handed over keys of trucks along with other medical equipment to Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir during a ceremony.

US Consul General in Lahore Kristin Hawkins, DG Health Services Punjab Dr. Ilyas Gondal, Country Director Chemonis Pakistan Dr Tariq Mahmood and others were present.

The government received oxygen commodities and seven refrigerated trucks to strengthen Punjab’s oxygenation and cold chain capacity.

Dr Nasir thanked the US government for their continued support during Covid-19 and for strengthening the capacity of Punjab to deal with public health emergencies.

He also expressed that this support has contributed a great deal in improving the province’s oxygenation and cold chain capacity.

Deputy Chief Mission Andrew Schoffer said the assistance would help in the fight against Covid-19 and would strengthen its capacity for future public health emergencies. “Today’s donation is not just about Covid-19, it is a long-term investment into Punjab’s health system. This assistance – that started at the very outset of Covid-19, continued throughout the pandemic, has prepared Punjab to deal with public health emergencies and is a prime example of the long history of partnership and US assistance to Pakistan including the government of Punjab.”

As part of its assistance, USAID has donated oxygen commodities to strengthen oxygen systems at 37 tertiary and secondary hospitals throughout Punjab and gear up its fight against Covid-19 and other epidemics. The support is aimed at enhancing the hospitals’ capacity to provide oxygen therapy for patients suffering from Covid-19 as well as other lung and respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, USAID has also donated seven refrigerated trucks to the Punjab government. The trucks would help transport vaccines effectively from the provincial warehouses to district and tehsil stores and up to the health facility level.

Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, USAID has worked closely with the Punjab government to save lives and contain the pandemic in the province. The US assistance package includes Covid vaccines, Biosafety (BSL-2) Mobile Lab, ventilators, personal protective equipment, rapid antigen tests for border surveillance, refrigerated trucks, oxygen ecosystem commodities and other essential health commodities providing life-saving treatments for critical patients, strengthening diagnostic and surveillance across the province.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2023