Medical supplies donated by Switzerland arrive
published : 29 Jul 2021 at 16:57
Thailand has taken delivery of Covid-19 testing kits and ventilators donated by Switzerland.
The medical supplies — 1.1 million antigen test kits and 102 ventilators — arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on a Swiss Air flight at 5.20am on Thursday.
Swiss ambassador to Thailand Helene Budliger Artieda and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul were at the airport to witness the delivery.
Mr Anutin thanked the Swiss government for the donations, saying they would play a key role in helping Thailand contain the outbreak.
Traisulee Traisoranakul, deputy government spokeswoman, said separately that the Disease Control Department would distribute the kits nationwide soon.
In addition to them, Thailand is in the process of buying 8.5 million kits worth 1 billion baht for use all over the country, she added.
Several countries have helped Thailand cope with the third wave of the pandemic.
China donated 1 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, with the second and last batch of 500,000 doses arriving in June.
Early this month, Japan donated 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the country.
The United States also gave Thailand 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, scheduled to arrive in Bangkok early on Friday. US senator Tammy Duckworth said on Thursday they were part of the 2.5 million doses Washington had planned to give to Thailand.
The United Kingdom will also donate 415,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, due to arrive next month, according to British ambassador to Thailand Mark Gooding.
