Egypt receives third batch of medical supplies from China – ministry

Egypt received on Saturday 30 tonnes of medical supplies from China, Egypt’s health ministry said in a statement.

This is the third and largest batch Egypt has received from China , health ministry spokesman Khaled Megaged said in the statement.

The batch includes: one million medical masks; 150,000 N95 masks; 70,000 sets of protective medical gowns; 70,000 medical gloves; 70,000 coronavirus test kits; and 1,000 thermometers.

These supplies will be distributed nationwide among isolation, fever, and pulmonology hospitals, the statement added.

Chinese Ambassador in Cairo Liao Liqiang said the timing of the third batch coincides with the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China, which falls on 30 May.

Liao said that in addition to the aid supplies, a number of organisations have given Egypt preventive medical supplies. He added that the countries produce half a million medical mask between them through the five production lines of the medical masks factory in Egypt.

Liao asserted that so far six meetings were held between health experts in Egypt and China through video conference to exchange experiences in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Egypt received on Sunday a second batch of medical aid from China which consisted of 10,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 70,000 coronavirus testing kits, which weighed an estimated 4.7 tonnes.

In April, Egypt received the first batch of aid from China which included 20,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 10,000 coronavirus testing kits.

In March, Egypt’s health minister Hala Zayed travelled to China upon the directive of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to show solidarity with the Chinese people, and to hand out china a batch of medical aid.

In February, Egypt sent China 10 tons of preventive medical supplies to help deal with the coronavirus outbreak.