Cameroon’s response against the COVID-19 has received another huge boost with the acquisition of 183 Oxygen concentrators and 200 mortuary covers.

The equipment, a donation from te World Health Organisation was handed to the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, June 29.

According to the WHO, the equipment cost close to FCFA 79 million an were acquired through the European Union Humanitarian Programme.

“Our health system has just been enriched with 183 oxygen concentrators. This equipment, in addition to that already available, will be immediately sent to health facilities, for the care of COVID patients but also other cases of respiratory distress,” the Minister of Public Health Dr Malachie Manaouda said.

Handing over the equipment, the Resident Representative of the WHO Dr. Phanuel Habimana said the equipment will boost Cameroon’s response against the pandemic which has claimed over 300 lives so far. He added that the WHO is at the disposal of the Ministry of Public Health to transport these equipment to all the regions.

Unveiling the equipment at the Ministry of Public Health, experts of the World Health Organisation say the oxygen concentrators are made to last for at least five years and to show how effective they are, a practical demonstration was performed at one of the specialized centres at the Mvog Mbi neighbourhood in Yaounde.

As concerns the 200 mortuary covers, authorities of the World Health Organisation said they will help in the transportation of corpses and mitigate the risk of health workers contracting the virus from dead bodies.

The Minister of Public Health, Dr Malachie Manaouda expressed gratitude to the WHO-EU initiative as well as all the partners who have been assisting government in the fight against the pandemic. He added that the equipment will be immediately distributed across the country to help health workers in their job.