KOICA Donates Over 20,000 COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment Items to Senegal Medical Staff

Senegal Health Authorities Face Challenges in Pandemic Response Due to Shortage of Personal Protective Equipment for Medical Staff

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA donated more than 29,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) items to officials from the Senegal Ministry of Health and medical staff at the Ministry of Health building in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on the morning of the 1st (local time) to support the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The medical supplies donated by KOICA consist of eight types of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the safety of medical personnel. Specifically, these include △ 1,000 medical protective suits and 1,000 medical goggles each △ 1,500 medical gloves △ 1,000 N95 masks △ 3,000 surgical gloves △ 800 surgical gowns △ 2,000 medical caps △ 10,600 surgical shoes.

The Senegal Ministry of Health and local medical staff have been striving to prevent the spread of COVID-19 despite manpower shortages and poor medical environments. However, they have recently faced difficulties in protecting medical personnel and responding to quarantine measures due to a shortage of personal protective equipment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Office, as of August 25, the number of medical personnel infected with COVID-19 in Senegal reached 349.

Lee Nam-soon, head of the KOICA Senegal office, said, “The Senegal Ministry of Health is a key partner institution in KOICA’s health projects and also a core dispatch institution for KOICA overseas volunteers and advisors. Upon hearing that the Ministry of Health, with which we have a long-standing cooperative relationship, was facing difficulties in COVID-19 quarantine activities, we urgently provided personal protective equipment for medical personnel. We will continue efforts to strengthen Senegal’s infectious disease response and healthcare system.”

Alphonse Ousmane Thiaw, Chief of Staff at the Senegal Ministry of Health, said, “This support from the Korean government and KOICA will greatly contribute to the safety and infection protection of frontline medical personnel. We are grateful to the Korean government for its continuous support in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and addressing infectious disease issues in Senegal.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.