Rwanda has received a donation of over 300,000 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical equipment from His Highness (H.H) Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai.
The donation which landed at Kigali International Airport on Saturday, was this morning officially handed over to Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) by Sumeet Bhardwaj, the Director General of Dubai World Ports and representative of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Rwanda.
The consignment included boxes of Coronavirus (Covid-19) medical testing kits, protective gear and face masks, plus ventilators that will be used by RBC in the fight against the virus.
Bhardwaj said that the donation is a heartfelt support from the Ruler of Dubai and his wife Her Highness, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum as a sign of a strong bilateral relationship that exists between the two countries.
“This is not the first or last donation to Rwanda, on behalf of the King he extends his kind greetings to President Paul Kagame and the people of Rwanda, and promise to maintain the existing bilateral relationship through more support in the future,” Bhardwaj said.
Dr Sabin DG Rwanda Biomedical Center says the donation will assist in three ways, testing treatment and prevention measures put in place by government and part of the consignment will be discharged to the covid19 epicenters in Rusizi and Kirehe districts were the 31 cases surfaced or were reported yesterday.
The donated equipment was transported to Rwanda with financing and logistical support from DP World and The One and Only Nyungwe hotel in Rwanda as part of contribution to the country’s recovery measures.
Bonita Mutoni, the sales and marketing manager of The One and Only Hotel in Nyungwe said their support to this cause will enable Rwanda to be a safe place and free of Covid-19 so as to attract more high end tourists back in the country’s hospitality sector, which has so far taken the hardest hit as a result of the global coronavirus crisis.
Rwanda has a total of 541 confirmed cases of coronavirus and recorded 31 new COVID-19 cases on June 13- the highest number so far since the first case was reported on March 14,
RBC says that despite the increase in numbers, there has been a concerted effort to control the virus through isolation, testing, and treatment which has seen the country test numbers increase to over 2000 per day. So far, the country has conducted 87,656.
“We are sure with these measures we will win the fight on coronavirus and we shouldn’t be worried that things are getting out of hand with these figures, instead look at it as a result of enforcing measure to contain the virus,” Dr. Sabin said in the assurance of Rwandans.
