With funding from the European Union (EU), WHO has supplied an additional 180 oxygen concentrators, 2000 pulse oximeters and other medical equipment to outpatient units in villages in Georgia.
The supplies were purchased through a large-scale EU–United Nations action to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country by bolstering rural health-care facilities. At a later stage, the initiative will also provide village ambulatory units with telemedicine equipment to improve access to health care.
The concentrators and oximeters were given to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia at a symbolic handover ceremony by Mr Carl Hartzell, EU Ambassador to Georgia, and Dr Silviu Domente, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Georgia.
The donation is part of broader assistance from the EU and WHO to support Georgia’s response to COVID-19. So far, this has included provision of vital medical equipment, personal protective equipment and technical expertise, and training of health and care workers.
In his address, Mr Hartzell stated, “While handover ceremonies may have become routine, there is nothing routine about people struggling to breathe or not having access to proper health care. Together with our partners at WHO and the Government of Georgia, we continue working to make sure that citizens all over Georgia receive improved access to health care and support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with the rest of Team Europe, we remain committed to stand by Georgia during this difficult time.”
Dr Domente added, “We have been living with the coronavirus pandemic for 2 years now, and WHO thanks the EU for its constant and steady support throughout. Together, we have delivered critical supplies, trained health-care workers, provided health guidance and tackled misinformation. The challenge ahead of us now is to strengthen the health system – particularly primary health care – so that everyone everywhere can access services, regardless of where they live.”
In the long term, EU and United Nations support under this project will help build a more resilient primary health-care system with telemedicine capacities in Georgia to increase equitable access to health-care services regardless of location and contribute to progress.
About the project
The project “Minimizing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia through telemedicine and digital health solutions” aims to harness the potential of digital tools for advancing telehealth services and promoting health in Georgia.
This assistance is an integral part of EU and United Nations support to the country’s COVID-19 response, alongside ongoing WHO technical assistance under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnership to support national authorities’ commitment to primary health-care reform and the advancement of UHC.
The project is implemented by 4 United Nations partners (the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the United Nations Population Fund and WHO) under WHO leadership. It brings together their respective areas of expertise with added value to contribute to the overall objective of minimizing the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on people’s health and the health system in Georgia, and to help the country build back better by supporting a sustainable and resilient recovery.
This assistance is part of a wider support package provided by the EU and Team Europe, consisting of 1.5 billion Georgian lari of new and reallocated assistance to help Georgia address the COVID-19 pandemic, including support to vulnerable groups and economic recovery. That is one of the highest levels of EU assistance per capita to any country in the world, and demonstrates the EU’s strong solidarity with Georgia at this time of unprecedented crisis.