US donates PPE, computer equipment to help Kyrgyz doctors fight COVID-19

BISHKEK -- The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently delivered vital personal protective equipment (PPE) and computer equipment meant for Kyrgyz healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the US embassy in Bishkek said in a statement November 6.

The PPE includes medical gowns, masks, N95 respirators, gloves, medical caps, shoe covers and face shields, as well as supplies for testing patients for COVID-19.

It will go to healthcare workers in Bishkek, Osh, Naryn and At-Bashi.

The CDC also donated computer equipment and software for tracking patients' progress, PPE inventories, and COVID-19 trends nationwide.

"Kyrgyz healthcare workers and epidemiologists are leading this battle, and we are happy ... to do whatever we can to support them, building on decades of partnership in fighting influenza and HIV/AIDS," CDC Central Asia Director Dr. Daniel Singer said in a statement.

International co-operation

The Kyrgyz Health Ministry Department for the Prevention of Infectious, Parasitic and Epidemiological Diseases is co-operating with the CDC and ICAP (formerly the International Centre for AIDS Care and Treatment Programmes) in fighting COVID-19, said Dinara Otorbayeva, director of that department.

ICAP is based at Columbia University in New York.

"We express our deep gratitude ... for support in such a difficult time, for support in training medical workers and strengthening the base of healthcare organisations with PPE and organisational equipment. It is necessary to continue this project until stabilisation of the epidemic situation in the country," she said.

The equipment, valued at more than 6,000,000 KGS (US $71,590), is part of a larger CDC project. ICAP is implementing the project to train and equip Kyrgyz epidemiologists, doctors and nurses.

In Osh, Bishkek and Naryn, the project helped Kyrgyz medical staff conduct infection control assessments to protect the staff from infection. It additionally offered training on epidemiological surveillance and contact tracing for the personnel at 19 healthcare facilities.

Through the CDC and the US Agency for International Development, the United States is providing more than $5 million (419.1 million KGS) this year to boost the Kyrgyz battle against the pandemic.

Since the outbreak began, the United States has donated PPE and other supplies to Central Asia countries on a regular basis.