The Minister of Health Dr. Daniel Ngamije says the support the State of Qatar donated to Rwanda towards fighting the New Coronavirus is timely and confirms the good bilateral relations between the two countries.

 The Health Minister made the remarks on Wednesday morning while receiving a consignment of equipment from Doha, which is over 15 tonnes, which came aboard a Qatar Airways flight.

 The materials were dispatched after a directive by the Qatari leader, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to his government to immediately send support to Rwanda Algeria, Tunisia and Nepal as the countries work around the clock to stop the pandemic from spreading.

 “These goods received from Qatar include protective suits for medical workers and people working in treatment centres, which cover them from head to toe, shoes and gloves. These are equipment which are timely and very essential for us,”

 “These complement what the government procured recently which we have been using in our treatment or isolation centres. These are materials that we use at a high pace. Each person working at the centres can use up to five sets of this equipment daily,” he said.

 Dr Ngamije said the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are single use, discarded after a single contact with a patient, meaning that a lot of this equipment is needed on a daily basis.

 “We need a lot of this equipment for doctors, nurses, nutritionists, cleaners etc, who get in contact with the patients have to change every time they visit the room. This equipment received from Qatar is worth over $1m, it is more than 15 tonnes,”

 “If you consider the number of patients we have and the two centres of treatment and then add what the government procured, what we have now can sustain us for at least 3 months,”

 “This gesture confirms the good bilateral relations between Rwanda and Qatar. These are equipment that are on high demand worldwide. For Qatar to think of supporting Rwanda at this time only confirms the cordial ties between the two countries,” Dr. Ngamije said.

 The Ambassador of Qatar to Rwanda Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sayed said that the Emir of Qatar considered the urgent need to support Rwanda in the fight against COVID-19, hence directing that the PPEs are dispatched immediately.

Rwanda and Qatar maintain good relations, particularly President Paul Kagame and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani describing each other as ‘friends’ and ‘brothers’.

 Qatar has committed to invest in key areas of the economy in Rwanda, including aviation and hospitality among other areas.

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