US donates 200 ventilators to Sri Lanka

The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 200 brand-new, state-of-the-art ventilators to Sri Lanka, delivering on President Trump’s offer of critically needed supplies and supporting Sri Lanka’s fight against COVID-19, the US Embassy in Colombo said today.

The ventilators were handed over to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi by the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Alaina Teplitz.

The ventilators, produced in the United States, feature cutting-edge technology. They are compact and easily deployable and will provide Sri Lanka with flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus, the release highlighted.

“The United States has had a longstanding commitment to the health and wellness of Sri Lankans. Over the last 20 years, the United States has provided more than $26 million in health assistance to Sri Lanka. Our enduring support continues with another donation from the American people. By harnessing the power of American innovation and private industry, we are happy to provide these state-of-the-art ventilators to Sri Lanka to fight COVID-19 and help save lives,” said Ambassador Teplitz. 

The ventilator donation, along with complementary training and maintenance support, builds on more than $6 million in COVID-19 assistance to Sri Lanka that has provided critical services to communities most affected by the pandemic.

U.S. funding is helping to mitigate negative economic impacts, as well as to support the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to deploy technical expertise for response and preparedness, conduct risk-communications, and prevent and control infectious diseases in health facilities.

The U.S. Government has been providing development and humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka since 1956 and has invested more than $2 billion to improve the lives of all Sri Lankans.

For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in health. Since 2009, the American people have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance around the world, the US Embassy said.

Through an All-of-America approach, the United States is providing life-saving support by coordinating with the Government of Sri Lanka and other stakeholders to identify priority areas for investment, the release said further.