Citizen Times Desk: Dhaka, Jul-27,

The US-Bangladesh Business Council, in collaboration with American NGO Project CURE, has donated essential medical supplies to Dhaka to help bolster the country’s fight against Covid-19.

The donation includes 60 oxygen concentrators, variable positive air pressure (VPAP) units and other oxygen supplies, and device accessories, including 45,000 pieces of personal protective gear, including KN95 and N95 masks, for corona patients in medical colleges across the country.

In the coming weeks, the Council will mobilize additional medical supplies, including a shipment of 100 emergency relief beds, the US Embassy in Dhaka said in a release.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jo Anne Wagner and US-Bangladesh Business Council representatives joined officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Directorate General of Health Services in welcoming the special delivery of essential medical supplies.

The initiative was taken by US-Bangladesh Business Council members Chevron, Excelerate Energy, Metlife, and HSBC Bangladesh with support and coordination from the US Embassy in Dhaka, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC, Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services.

Chargé d’Affaires Wagner said they must and will continue to use their collective resources to fight this pandemic together to protect health and save precious lives.

Wagner said she is proud to see American business leaders come together as invaluable partners with this generous gift meant to help meet the critical health needs of the Bangladeshi people.

“The Council members have come together to stand in support with our friends and partners in Bangladesh to tackle the surge in the pandemic with urgently needed supplies of medical equipment that we hope can provide life-saving care,” said Nisha Biswal, President of the US-Bangladesh Business Council.

She said the robust partnership between the Council and its members, Project CURE, the US and Bangladeshi governments, is a testament to expedient support and strong friendship between the two countries in times of need.

Jay R Pryor, Chevron’s Vice President of Business Development and Chair of the US-Bangladesh Business Council, said throughout the pandemic, the company has been working hard to continue providing the energy the people of Bangladesh need to overcome the humanitarian and economic challenges of the virus.

“The US business community, with the leadership of the US-Bangladesh Business Council, stands ready to support the people of Bangladesh during this extraordinary crisis,” said Pryor, adding that "working together, we’ll emerge from this crisis ready to embrace a hopeful future".

Steven Kobos, President and CEO of Excelerate Energy and Board Member of the US-Bangladesh Business Council, said, “The health and safety of our employees and local communities in Bangladesh are our top priority, as Excelerate Energy continues to provide safe, secure, and reliable energy to the country.”

“We’re glad that our MetLife Foundation is able to provide this much-needed medical equipment as part of our ongoing work to help Bangladeshis achieve peace of mind in the face of continued uncertainty,” said Elena Butarova, MetLife’s Senior Vice President and US-Bangladesh Business Council Board Member.

HSBC Bangladesh CEO Md Mahbub Ur Rahman said, “We made our effort to touch more than 100,000 people with food, medical supplies, and livelihood support across Bangladesh. I trust this medical relief with our partners is a much timely one amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and HSBC is happy to be a part of this humble initiative.”

Dr Douglas Jackson, President, and CEO of Project CURE, the world’s largest distributor of donated medical relief, said the supplies will be important tools to assist the local healthcare professionals as they work tirelessly to serve their communities and deliver health and hope.