On 7 May 2021, H.E. Mr. Jesda Katavetin,  Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Lao PDR, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government, presented donations and medical equipment to support the Government of the Lao PDR in combating against COVID-19. The assistance was received by H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health and the Deputy Head of the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, the Lao PDR.

          The assistance has come from various sectors of Thailand as follows;

           First, The Royal Thai Government donated cash together with medical assistance totaling 12,880,000 baht or approximately 4.1 billion kip. The initial assistance worth 4,300,000 baht delivered on 7 May 2021 comprised (1) cash donation of 2,000,000 baht (2) 180 patient beds (3) 50,000 medical masks (4) 2,370 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (5) 6 units of mobile Swab Test Positive Pressure for Bokeo Provincial Hospital.

          Second, by May 2021, the Royal Thai Government will deliver further assistance worth 8,580,000 baht comprises (1) 2,000 PPE suits (2) the Real-Time PCR machine and DNA-RNA Extraction kits together with 2,500 sets of COVID-19 RT-PCR test kits for Bokeo Provincial Hospital and Xayaburi Provincial Hospital (3) medical equipment for Savannakhet Hospital such as automated external defibrillator, patient monitoring machine, infrared thermometer, oxygen regulator and pulse oximeter (4) online medical public health consultation to strengthen COVID-19 testing capacity and enhance collaboration between Thai-Lao medical teams, especially at the Thai-Lao border to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.

          Third, the Thai-Lao Association for Friendship also handed over the 500 PPE suits and the 480 N95 masks with a total worth of 100,000 baht through the Embassy of Lao PDR in Bangkok.

          Lastly, The Royal Thai Embassy to Lao PDR and Team Thailand facilitated help and support from the Thai Business Association of the Lao PDR, the Thailand-Laos Business Council, Thai companies in Lao PDR as well as Thais who live in the Lao PDR in gathering cash donation and medical equipment worth 3,460,000 baht or approximately 1 billion kip which will be handed over to the Government of the Lao PDR on 12 May 2021.

         The cash donation and medical equipment from the Government, private sectors as well as Thai people are the reflection of care for the people in the Lao PDR as well as underline Thailand’s resolute solidarity with the Lao PDR
as our close neighbor with special bond, and readiness to work and combat against COVID-19 together.

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