20 tonnes of medical equipment arrive from China: NDMA

ISLAMABAD: A plane carrying 20 tonnes of medical equipment has reached the capital from China, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Saturday.

According to the press release, the medical gear had been procured through the National Disaster Risk Management Fund, the spokesperson for the NDMA said. The equipment includes 99 ventilators, 260,000 N-95 masks, 300 protective suits, 600 safety goggles, over 7,000 KN-95 masks, and 6,000 surgical masks, the spokesperson said.

Separately, the NDMA also received a donation from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), in which 40 ventilators were included. The equipment included 50,000 N-95 masks, 60,000 surgical masks, and 4,000 testing kits.

On May 14, the Senate had unanimously passed a resolution thanking the Chinese people and government for their continuous support during the pandemic. "Senate of Pakistan rejects the baseless propaganda against China from certain quarters, which stems from geopolitical rivalry and is more an attempt to divert attention from their own internal failings as it has no factual basis," read the resolution.

China has sent several consignments to Pakistan in a bid to help the country tackle the pandemic. Last month, it had sent a cargo of medical emergency relief items.