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Published Thursday, July 23, 2020
The U.S. government donates
$60,000 in medical supplies
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Office of the Representative of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), through the Embassy, donated 107,000 surgical masks and 38,000 N-95 masks to Social Security.
"This donation was purchased from local suppliers, is valued at $60,000 and is part of the support that the diplomatic headquarters has provided to Costa Rica for the attention of the pandemic," the Embassy said in its statement.
Since the start of the health emergency generated by covid-19, the Embassy has reported various donations to Social Security and the government of Costa Rica. Among this donated medical equipment are surgical gloves, isolation gowns, surgical masks, N-95 type masks, face shields and goggles, and laboratory supplies.
In June, the U.S. government donated laboratory supplies to support the research being done by scientists in Costa Rica to develop the treatment immunoglobulins against the covid-19.
According to Social Security, the supplies valued at an equivalent to $41,522, were donated through the Humanitarian Assistance Program of the Embassy.
"For the U.S. Embassy it is important to cooperate with Costa Rica in its scientific research that can lead to solutions to face the covid-19 pandemic," said Sharon Day, the U.S. Ambassador.
Among the supplies used used for investigations of a possible treatment against covid-19, there are: plasma separators, automatic homogenizers, 24,500 units of Eppendorf tubes, boxes for transport of sample tubes, coolpad for transport boxes, thermal cases for transporting samples, test tubes, among many others.
The supplies were delivered to the Center for Research in Tropical Diseases (CIET), the Clodomiro Picado Research Institute of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the National Blood Bank, Social Security said.
Also in June, the U.S. government through the USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, OFDA, donated 1,200 reusable face shields made of acrylic material to the National Commission for Emergency.
According to the U.S. Embassy, these protectors are for the use of the members of the National Risk Management System, currently dedicated to the attention of the pandemic caused by covid-19 in the country.
The donation was made by Tim Callaghan, USAID / OFDA Senior Regional Advisor.
In May, through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Embassy delivered the fourth donation of medical supplies.
In the case of the IOM with the support of the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), the Ministry of Security received the second set of donations of personal protective equipment and medical supplies to support the immigration police and other police officers who are facing the covid-19 emergency at the borders.
The donated equipment included wheelchairs, infrared thermometers, sphygmomanometers, oximeters, stethoscopes, surgical gloves, eye protection eyeglasses and N95 masks in addition to cleaning supplies such as chlorine, disinfectant and liquid soap.
According to the embassy, the U.S. has donated more than $250,000 in products during this pandemic.
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What other foreign entities could donate medical supplies to Costa Rican researchers? We would like to know
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