AS part of its ongoing commitment to support countries in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Israel Government has donated $2 million worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Some 100,000 surgical masks, 4,600 shoe covers, 4,600 surgical caps, 1,000 surgical gowns, 5,000 KN95 and 20 pulse oximeters masks were donated on Thursday during a brief ceremony held at the hospital’s compound, where Ministerial Adviser and former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy accepted the donation on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony.
Dr. Ramsammy, in expressing sincere thanks to Israel, said the donation strengthens cooperation and friendship between the two countries, especially during the time of a global pandemic “We are extremely grateful today to receive the PPE… it will help to sustain an effective fight against COVID-19,” he said.
Dr. Ramsammy added that Guyana, like many other countries, has had an “uphill task” in procuring PPE during the pandemic, having to “compete against the giants or with the giants for our supplies”.

Meanwhile, Israel Ambassador to Panama, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, Reda Mansour, who joined the ceremony virtually, said that there has been price gouging of PPE making it difficult for many small countries like Guyana to access these important items.
Mansour added that the pandemic gives countries in the region the opportunity to increase cooperation, especially in the medical field.
“We have young medex who comes from all over the world to train in our hospitals, to do their specialisation in different fields. So I am hoping today with the health system in Guyana, this will be a first step to open many other doors of cooperation,” Mansour said.
The ceremony was also attended by Chairman of the Board of Georgetown Hospital, Dr. Madan Rambarran; Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr Fawcett Jeffrey; Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier (ret’d), George Lewis; and President of the Caribbean Israel Leadership Coalition, Dr. Andre Thomas and its member, Apostle Elsworth Williams.