COLOMBO – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) handed over a US-funded COVID-19 test kit, with supplies for 2000 tests, to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo in mid June. Valued at an estimated $118,000, the kit contains a RT-PCR machine, the most reliable and efficient technology utilized for COVID-19 testing to date, and accessories such as re-agents, PPE, and other essential safety tools.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Professor Vajira Dissanayake receiving the donation noted international cooperation was vital to face the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the laboratory equipment and test kits donated to our Faculty would help strengthen their COVID-19 testing facilities. “We are grateful to the International and Sri Lankan Atomic Energy Authorities and the United States Embassy for this donation,” they said.
A statement from the US Embassy in Colombo, said the Medical Research Institute Sri Lanka and the National Hospital Kandy would be using the diagnostic kit based on agreements previously arranged between Sri Lanka and the IAEA. It said, in addition to the equipment, the IAEA also provided training to local personnel to encourage safe use of the equipment and reliable testing going forward.
The statement quoted the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Alaina Teplitz as saying, “The United States stands committed to supporting Sri Lanka in their efforts to take appropriate measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the long-term capacity-building efforts that ensure strong emergency response to crises.”
It also noted that the United States government has allocated $11 million towards projects benefiting 84 countries and providing over 100 state-of-the-art diagnostic kits to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the largest health and humanitarian donor globally, the United States has provided more than $100 billion in health assistance since 2009 to protect vulnerable populations, build medical infrastructure, and promote stability. It said the IAEA donation stands as another example of US assistance that looks to the future in responding to public health emergencies and building the capacity of health care systems globally.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the United States leads the world in the fight against COVID-19, with $20.5 billion allocated from across the US government to benefit the global response, the statement noted, adding that in Sri Lanka, the United States has committed over $5.8 million in aid through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, it said, the US Department of Defence had donated $80,000 worth of PPE to Sri Lanka’s hospitals, as well as coveralls and cleaning supplies to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and over 48,000 pieces of PPE to the Disaster Management Center. Furthermore, the US collaborated with Sri Lankan companies to enable production and export of 200 million face masks and is continuing this synergy by helping Sri Lankan apparel producers export PPE to the United States.
-ENCL