UNICEF and ADB handover medical equipment to support Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 response

DILI, 2 March 2021 – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) today handed over to the Ministry of Health (MoH) a range of medical equipment that would help with treatment of mild and severe cases of COVID-19. The equipment was procured by the Ministry of Health and ADB through UNICEF’s supply division. 

UNICEF’s Deputy Representative, Scott Whoolery, and Asian Development Bank Country Director, Sunil Mitra. handed over the medical equipment to the Director-General of Health Services, Dra. Odette Da Silva Viegas. The event took place at the Antonio Carvalho Hospital Lahane (Izolamento COVID-19). 

“The Ministry of Health warmly welcomes the support from UNICEF in procuring this essential health equipment, which will go a long way in treating anyone who may fall ill with COVID-19, as well as people across Timor-Leste who need to access healthcare centers and services for other reasons,” said Director-General of Health Services, Dra. Odette Da Silva Viegas. “We certainly cannot afford to let our guard down in relation to the pandemic, so it is reassuring to know that this support from UNICEF and ADB means we have equipment of the highest quality when providing healthcare to the people of Timor-Leste.” 

The equipment, totaling more than 800 individual items, includes electric hospital beds for intensive care units (ICUs), other hospital beds, ventilators for ICUs, pulse-oximeters, ultaviolent lamps for room sterilization, infrared thermometers, laryngoscope sets for adults and children and examination lights. 

“The Asian Development Bank has supported the COVID-19 response in Timor-Leste in numerous ways,” says Sunil Mitra, ADB Country Director in Timor-Leste. “This support will help ensure Timor-Leste is well prepared to provide the required health services to those impacted by COVID-19.”

“UNICEF is extremely pleased to be able to support the Ministry of Health in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as ensuring other health services remain on track for those who require them,” said Scott Whoolery, UNICEF’s Acting Representative in Timor-Leste. “Whatever we can do in these uncertain times to ensure children and their families are able to access healthcare is exactly what we are committed to doing. We are all in this together, and together, we can stop the spread of COVID and blunt its impact.”

For more information, contact:

Ministry of Health:
Mr. Raul Sarmento, coordinator of Pillar 2 (Risk Communication and Community Engagement): [email protected]

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UNICEF no ADB entrega ekipamentu medikal atu apoia Ministeriu Saúde hatan ba COVI-19

Dili, 2 Marsu 2021 – Fundu Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF) no Banku Dezenvolvimentu Azia (ADB) entrega ba Ministeriu Saude ekipamentu medical balun mak bele ajuda halo tratamentu ba moras Coovid-19 kaman no todan sira. Ekipamentu hola husi Ministeriu Saude no ADB liu husi UNICEF nia divizaun abastesimentu.

UNICEF nia Reprezentativa, Scott Whoolery no Banku Dezenvolvimentu Azia nia Diretor País, Sunil Mitra entrega ekipamentu medical ba Diretora Jeral Prestasaun Servisu, Dra. Odete da Silva Viegas. Eventu ne’e halao iha Ospital Antonio Carvalho, Lahane (Izolamentu COVID-19).

“Ministeriu Saúde simu ho di’ak apoiu husi UNICEF hodi hola ekipamentu saude esensial, ne’ebe ajuda tebes hodi halo tratamentu ba ema hotu mak hetan moras COVID-19, no mós ba ema sira hotu iha Tmor-Leste mak presiza asesu ba sentru kuidadu saude sira no servisu ba razaun sira seluk,” dehan Dra. Odete da Silva Viegas, Ministeriu Saúde. “Ita lolos la bele husik hela deit pandemia ne’e, tamba ne’e ita tenke hatene katak apoiu husi UNICEF signifika ita iha ekipamentu ho kualidade aas hodi halo kuidadu saude ba populasaun Timor-Leste.”

Ekipamentu sira ne’e nia total buat atus-walu resin, inklui kama ba ospital ba Unidade Kuidadu Intensivu (ICU), kama sira seluk ba ospital, ventilador ba ICU, oximetru ba pulsu, lampada ultravileta bas ala esterilizasaun, termometrus infravermellu, laringoskopiu ba adultu no labarik sira no luz ba izaminasaun. 

“Banku Dezelvolvimentu Azia apoia on aba hatan ba COVID-19 iha Timor-Leste liu husi dalan oin-oin,” dehan Sunil Mitra, Diretor País ADB iha Timor-Leste. “Apoiu ne’e sei ajuda garante Timor-Leste prepara-aan diak atu fornese servisu saude nesesaria ba sira ne’e hetan moras COVID-19.

“UNICEF kontente tebes hodi fó apoiu ba Ministeriu Saúde hodi hatan ba pandemia COVID-19 no mós hodi garante servisu saude sira seluk halao nafatin tuir ema sira-nia nesesidade,” dehan Scott Whoolery, enkaregadu Reprezentativu UNICEF Timor-Leste. “Saida deit mak ami bele halo iha tempu inserteza ne’e hodi garante labarik sira no sira-nia familia sira bele iha asesu ba kuidadu saude tuir lolos ami-nia dezempeñu. “Ita hotu hamutuk ba ida ne’e.”  

Ba Informasaun detallu, kontaktu:

Ministeru Saúde
Mr. Raul Sarmento, coordinator of Pillar 2 (Risk Communication and Community Engagement): [email protected]

UNICEF
Rukshan Ratnam, Communication Specialist: +670 77231103; [email protected] (English)

Antonio Gomez, Communication Officer: +670 77232441; [email protected] (Tetun)

Asian Development Bank

Geraldo Moniz Da Silva, Communications, ADB. [email protected]