China hands over 1,000 ventilators to Pakistan to fight COVID-19

ISLAMABAD -- China handed over 1,000 BiPAP ventilators to Pakistan on Aug. 13 at the Islamabad International Airport in an effort to help the South Asian country battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a handover ceremony held at the airport, Muhammad Afzal, chairman of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), appreciated the government and people of China for the continuous assistance to his country during the pandemic.

He said China has already donated to Pakistan "huge" assistance that includes ventilators in all types, test kits, N95 masks, surgical masks, protective clothing and medicines.

The NDMA chairman said China not only helped Pakistan battle the pandemic, but also assisted the country in fighting the locust swarms by providing pesticide and related equipment.

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said the Chinese government attached great importance to the cooperation between China and Pakistan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bilateral cooperation against the disease is a model of China's international anti-virus cooperation, he said, adding that such cooperation showed that to unite and work together is an effective way to address global challenges.

The latest donation arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday, according to the Chinese embassy.