MoH receives medical supplies, PPE from NGO

Food for the Poor Guyana Inc (FFTP) has donated a quantity of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Health Ministry in its fight against COVID-19.

Receiving the timely donation on Saturday at FFTP’s Festival City, Georgetown headquarters was Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
The Government official revealed that Guyana’s usage of PPE in one year accounts for 10 years of pre-pandemic usage. “This is the intense need for PPE, and this is the reason why, globally, there is a shortage of PPE because Guyana is not unique in the fact that our demand for PPE has increased 10 times,” he said.
He disclosed that despite the Government allocating resources to procure more PPE, it is constantly challenged to ensure they are received on time. He also used the opportunity to urge those gathered to encourage their peers to get vaccinated and to resist misinformation about the effects of the vaccines.
“One thing people need to know, all the vaccines in use in the world today, whether it’s in America or Europe or Russia or India or China or Guyana or Barbados, all of them that are in use in the world today are 100 per cent effective against serious illness from COVID-19.”

He added, “We want to reach every street, every household in this country, and South Georgetown as one of the very densely populated areas represents a priority area for us.”
Residents trickled into the area during the day to receive their first jab of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine as FFTP’s compound is being used as a site for the Ministry’s vaccination campaign in South Georgetown.
FFTP Chief Executive Officer, Kent Vincent said the donation of syringes, medical gloves, face shields, and other equipment was made available by its generous partners in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world.
“Food for the Poor is committed to helping those who are in need,” he noted.