UNOPS hands over WB funded emergency procurement support

UNOPS handed over the first batch of 40 essential High-flow Oxygen machines and 100 Syringe Pumps for use in COVID-19 treatment Centres in Sri Lanka recently.

The equipment handed is part of the World Bank’s emergency procurement support to COVID-19 response projects valued at over US$ 6.4 million.

The total amount of oxygen related COVID-19 equipment under the project is estimated to be over US$ 2 million

The event was attended by the Minister of Health, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, World Bank Project Director Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, senior officials from the Ministry of Health including the Deputy Director-general, Department of Biomedicine and Medical Supplies Janapriya Karunatilake and. Sudhir Muralidharan, UNOPS Country Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Minister Wanniarachchi commended the excellent and long standing partnership with UNOPS and acknowledged the part the organization plays in helping Sri Lanka from the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized the importance of increasing essential medical equipment to treat COVID-19 patients and stated that the Ministry of Health has ordered 350 more High-Flow Oxygen Machines for the COVID-19 treatment Centres via UNOPS & other sources. Dr. Deepika Attygalle ,Senior Health Specialist of the World Bank virtually attending the ceremony thanked the UNOPS for providing such services expediting the supply of essential medical equipment.