The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provides medical equipment to Sri Lanka

On Wednesday, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) donated crucial medical equipment and supplies to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health, with help from the Chinese government.

The Ministry of Health handed over 328,660 packs of supplies to the Family Health Bureau, which will be utilised to equip public health personnel working at the grassroots level.

According to the UNFPA, they want to make sure that frontline health workers in Sri Lanka have the tools they need to safely respond to patients during public health emergencies like Covid-19.

The health ministry has scaled back on protective equipment regulations for frontline employees due to the country's present socioeconomic crisis, and the donation will specifically bridge the gap in medical equipment for health staff focusing on maternal and child health.

According to the UNFPA, child health is a major issue on the island.

At the handover event, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong remarked, "We believe the equipment supplied today would go a long way in protecting frontline workers, especially under the current socio-economic crisis that is compromising access to such protective equipment."

Personal protective equipment will enable the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health secure the safety of its employees and increase the ministry's ability to respond to such events in the future, according to Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella.

Kunle Adeniyi, a UNFPA official, stressed the importance of appropriate equipment for maternal and child healthcare, saying that the healthcare needs of women and girls must be addressed during times of crisis and that frontline workers must be ready to react to their requirements.