U.S. Government donates medical supplies for hospitals in Sri Lanka’s North
March 30, 2009 – Colombo: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today donated equipment and basic medical supplies to the Ministry of Health to treat 50,000 civilians at hospitals in the North. James R. Moore, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, made the symbolic presentation to Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Health Care and Nutrition.
The U.S. donation, valued at $79,865 (Rs 9.19 million), includes five kits with basic medical care items such as bandages, medicines, supplies and equipment. The kits are approved by the World Health Organization and each contains enough supplies to provide primary care to 10,000 patients. The Ministry of Health will distribute these supplies to hospitals in Vavuniya, Mannar and Padawiya, where the recent influx of IDPs has strained hospital resources.
USAID, the development agency of the U.S. Government, made the donation to Medical Teams International (MTI), as part of USAID’s small-grants programs administered by United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). MTI is a global health organization that carries out disaster relief, long-term development, and community health programs in collaboration with local partners.
The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1956, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka.