Chinese businessman Jack Ma has donated ventilators and other medical equipment to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in African countries.
In a tweet on Monday, the Alibaba Co-founder stated the donation which includes 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits and face shields and 2000 thermometers to all the 54 countries in the African continent is on the way.
The countries will also receive 1 million swabs and extraction kits as well as 500,000 gloves.
“Our second donation to 54 countries in Africa is on the way. That includes 500 ventilators, 200K suits & face shields, 2K thermometers, 1M swabs & extraction kits and 500K gloves. Thank you
@AbiyAhmedAli @flyethiopian @AfricaCDC @WF for your partnership. Stay safe Africa!, ” he tweeted.
Our second donation to 54 countries in Africa is on the way. That includes 500 ventilators, 200K suits & face shields, 2K thermometers, 1M swabs & extraction kits and 500K gloves. Thank you @AbiyAhmedAli @flyethiopian @AfricaCDC @WFP for your partnership. Stay safe Africa!
— Jack Ma (@JackMa) April 6, 2020
Lack of ventilators especially in Kenya has in the recent past raised fears over the country’s preparedness to fight COVID-19 that has killed four people and infected over 140 others.
Read: Co-op Bank Donates Ksh100 Million To Buy Ventilators In Fight Against Covid-19
A medical ventilator is an automatic machine that moves breathable air mechanically into and out of the lungs. The machine helps provide the mechanism of breathing for a patient, who is physically unable to breathe, or effectively breathe on their own.
COVID-19 being a respiratory illness, most patients rely on a ventilator to breathe.
Jack Ma’s donation comes at a time Kenyans are calling on the country’s billionaires to give out a share of their wealth in the fight against COVID-19. As of Monday, only Co-operative bank had extended a monetary donation of Ksh100 million to the fight.
The second donation comes just weeks after Jack Ma delivered a total of 1.1million testing kits,6million masks and 60,000 protective suits. The donation was distributed in all African countries.
Each country received at least 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 medical use protective suits and face shields.
Read Also: Tanzanian Awadhi Luguya Arrested for Opening a “Coronavirus Tanzania” Facebook Page
The donation was shipped to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month. The country’s Primer Minister Abiy Ahmed helped with the distribution.
Country’s in Europe and Asia and America have also benefited from the philanthropist’s aid.
Globally, more than 1.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in more 208 countries and over 69000 deaths reported. At least 264,844 people have survived the contagious disease.
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