Africa-Press – Mauritius. A handover ceremony of medical equipment, donated by the World Health Organization (WHO), was held, today, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose Belle. The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal; the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the WHO Representative, Dr Laurent Musango, and other personalities, were present.
To the tune of Rs 6 million, the equipment comprises Bronchoscopy Endoscopic device, spirometer and microscope and will be used to conduct respiratory and pulmonary tests at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital. This donation stems from the collaboration between the Mauritian authorities and the WHO following the grounding of the bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, offshore of Pointe d’Esny, last year, with a view to addressing the impact of the oil spill on human health. The Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital was the designated centre to treat health problems relating to the oil spill.
The Health Minister recalled, in his address, that health problems resulting from the oil spill included skin and eye irritation, as well as mild respiratory problems. Dr Jagutpal underlined that the oil spill incident was the first time that the country was faced with such a health hazard, and he thanked the WHO for its ongoing support.
The representative of the WHO, for his part, stressed that the equipment will help improve health care services for lung and respiratory illnesses in the short, medium and long term. It is noted that Covid-19 screening equipment was also remitted to the Ministry of Health and Wellness by the WHO on that occasion.
