The PAHO/WHO Suriname office has donated 4 invasive ventilators to the Ministry of Health for use in intensive care units (ICU) to assist with its national response to COVID-19. The use of invasive and non-invasive ventilators have been identified as an essential element within the COVID case management protocols in countries since a subset of individuals with COVID-19 who become critically ill will use ventilators to assist them in breathing as they recover. In these cases, ventilators may be lifesaving.
The donated ventilators, valued at USD$95,000, are compact and support both invasive and non-invasive applications which will give medical providers flexibility in treating patients. PAHO/WHO has also donated 6 months’ worth of accessories and consumables to support the use of this equipment over a period of time. The PAHO/WHO Representative for Suriname, Dr. Karen Lewis Bell officially handed over this donation to the Minister of Health, Dr. Amar Ramadhin on December 1st , 2020 in the presence of colleagues from the COVID-19 Outbreak Management Team and the Bedrijfsgeneesmiddelen Voorziening Suriname (BGVS).
