P70 M medical equipment, donasyon ng Australia sa ‘Pinas

ni Lolet Abania | October 22, 2020

Magbibigay ang Australia ng aabot sa P70 million halaga ng medical at personal protective equipment (PPE) bilang suporta sa mga tinamaan ng nakamamatay na sakit sa hanay ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) habang may pandemya ng COVID-19, ayon sa Minister for Defense ng nasabing bansa na si Linda Reynolds.

Kabilang sa mga ido-donate na equipment ay mga kama, mechanical ventilators, electrocardiogram machines, laboratory fridges, cardiac monitors, pulse oximeters, UV sterilizers at mga PPEs.

“This contribution builds on the $1 million support that Australia provided through our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program for the expansion of the infectious disease ward of the Victoriano Luna Medical Center in Manila earlier this year,” pahayag ni Reynolds.

Sa unang pagbisita ni Reynolds sa bansa, napag-usapan nila ni Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Delfin Lorenzana ang mga dapat na COVID-19 responses at nangako sa isa’t isa ng pagkakaroon ng regional security at stability sa depensa ng dalawang bansa.

“We noted that we have also continued to deepen our cooperation through the conduct of COVID-safe exercises between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Australian Defense Force, as well as defense industry cooperation,” sabi ni Reynolds.

Ayon pa sa Defense Minister, nagkasundo rin ang dalawang bansa tungkol sa pagpapaigting sa maritime security sa rehiyon kabilang dito ang South China Sea.

“The Philippines is an important security partner for Australia, and we continue to work closely together in support of our shared commitment to an open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” ani Reynolds.