Vietnam presents Laos with US$500,000 and medical equipment in COVID-19 fight

A presentation ceremony was held at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos on the morning of May 4 to hand over US$500,000, medical supplies and equipment from Vietnam to Laos to help the country in itsfight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the presentation ceremony at Wattay International Airport.
At the presentation ceremony at Wattay International Airport.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung expressed the sympathy of the Vietnamese leaders and people for the difficulties facing Laos, emphasising that Vietnam always stands side by side with Laos in its fight against the pandemic.

He noted that Vietnam had decided to present Laos with US$500,000, two million medical masks, 200 ventilators, and 10,000kg of Cloramin B, to help Laos deal with the pandemic.

In particular, the flight also carried 35 Vietnamese medical experts to assist Laos with its testing, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 as well as in the building of field hospitals.

On the occasion, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee and the Government Office also presented their Lao counterparts with 50,000; 500,000; and 20,000 medical masks respectively.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoun expressed his deep gratitude for the valuable support from the Vietnamese Party, State and people, affirming that the support will contribute to helping Laos repel the pandemic.

He emphasised that Vietnam is the first country to send financial support, experts and medical supplies to Laos to assist the country in controlling the latest outbreak of the pandemic, demonstrating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

*According to the Ministry of Health, the Van Lang Group has also shipped 100 Eliciae MV20 ventilators to Laos as part of a programme providing medical suppliesto Laos and Cambodia in their fight against the pandemic.

As scheduled, the group will send a further 800 MV20 ventilators to Cambodia to help it respond to the pandemic.