Saudi Arabia delivers vital COVID-19 aid to Tunisia

Two Saudi aircrafts containing vital COVID-19 medical supplies have arrived in Tunisia, under the orders of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.

King Salman directed the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action (KSRelief) to urgently support Tunisia with medical and preventive equipment and supplies in a way that contributes to overcoming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It followed a request from Tunisian President Kais Saied.

The Saudi airlift to Tunisia included 100 ventilators, 90 portable ventilators, 169 oxygen concentrators, 150 oxygen generators, 150 electric medical beds, 27 vital signs monitors, and 21 patient monitors, 4 ECG patient monitors, 3,000,000 surgical masks, 1,000,000 N95 masks, 500,000 medical gloves, 180 pulse oximeters, 25 intravenous infusions pumps, 25 intravenous drug pumps, nine defibrillators, 15 video laryngoscopes, 5 electrocardiographs (ECGs), and 8,000 protective gowns.

Saudi Ambassador to Tunisia, Dr Abdulaziz Ali Al-Sager said the aid was sent on the wishes of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to stand by Tunisia to confront the country’s outbreak of COVID-19 and mitigate its effects.

The Tunisian Minister of Health, Dr Fawzi al-Mahdi, extended his thanks and said the aid comes as an affirmation of the depth of the strong relations that bind the leaderships of the two countries, noting that Tunisia will immediately begin distributing Saudi aid to Tunisian hospitals to confront the spread of the virus in various cities.

Director of the Tunisian President’s Office, Minister Nadia Okasha, also expressed her deep thanks to the government and people of Saudi Arabia, praising the rapid response from King Salman and the Crown Princ.

Okasha stressed that the aid provided by the Kingdom today would support the efforts of the Tunisian Ministry of Health to confront the spread of the coronavirus.

Earlier this week, King Salman also issued directives to provide Tunisia with one million doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

KSrelief Spokesman, Dr Samer al-Jutaili said coordination is underway with the office of the Tunisian President to expedite contracting with one of the approved international companies to supply the required quantities of vaccines from its factories directly to Tunisia.

Tunisia has also received a pledge from the UAE for 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines following a call between Saied and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Tunisia’s health care system is collapsing due to the coronavirus, with intensive care departments full and doctors overburdened by a rapid outbreak of cases and deaths, the health ministry said earlier this month.