A Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) aircraft carrying medical supplies for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic left Ankara for Chad on Thursday.
“A Turkish Armed Forces aircraft carrying the medical supplies prepared at the direction of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan by the Health Ministry for use against the COVID-19 outbreak took off from Ankara Etimesgut Airbase for Chad,” the Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter.
Chad is facing a severe shortage of medical equipment as it battles the coronavirus, with the country possessing only 25 ventilators that were sent by Turkey in May.
Speaking during a session of parliament Monday, Chadian Health Minister Mahamoud Youssouf Khayal said there is still not enough medical equipment in the country to fight the outbreak.
This week’s delivery includes “1,000 COVID-19 RT-q PCR diagnostic test kits, 5,000 oxygen anesthesia mask, 50,000 pieces of protective coveralls, 30,000 N95 face masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 5,000 protective glasses, 50,000 overshoes, 50,000 pieces of gloves.”
Turkey will also provide Chad with two ambulances and 10 inflatable field emergency units, each to house 20 patients.
The first delivery of medical supplies to Chad departed from the Turkish capital on May 26.
Turkey has provided humanitarian aid to nearly 130 countries during the pandemic, including the U.S., U.K., Italy and Spain, making it the world’s third-largest provider of aid during the global crisis.
As the fight against the pandemic continues, Turkey has come to the forefront as a humanitarian leader, while still maintaining its domestic success against the virus. Some two-thirds of the world have requested medical supplies from Turkey to fight the coronavirus, and nearly half of these requests have been met.
Turkey’s aid packages mostly include medical masks, protective overalls and gloves, as well as disinfectants. All equipment is produced at military-owned factories and at sewing workshops that produce uniforms and other clothing for the army.
Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions and killed about 450,000 people. The U.S., Brazil and Russia are currently the hardest-hit countries in the world.
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