US donates 100 ventilators to Pak to combat COVID-19 pandemic
Islamabad: The US on Thursday provided Pakistan 100 ventilators to help it fight the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed nearly 6,000 lives and infected over 277,000 people in the country.
The US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement that the shipment was handed over to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority as a symbol of "working together to fight COVID-19".
The ventilators, provided through the US Agency for International Development, arrived in Islamabad on July 28 and will be deployed in hospitals across Pakistan, it said.
"The arrival of these ventilators delivers on President Donald Trump's promise to Prime Minister Imran Khan to stand with the people of Pakistan and bring additional critically needed supplies and support to Pakistan's urgent response to the pandemic," the embassy said.
The first batch of 100 ventilators had arrived on July 3 and have already been delivered to hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout Pakistan.
"The United States is a proud partner with the Government of Pakistan to help stem the tide of this deadly pandemic and these ventilators will help with that fight," US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W Jones said.
The ventilators can also be used to provide non-invasive respiratory therapy for patients before they become critically ill and help avoid the need for more extreme care. They can help treat a number of other respiratory ailments outside of the COVID-19 virus, including pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Through a specialized training program developed with the National Disaster Management Authority and the Federal and Provincial Ministries of Health, and with funding from USAID, Pakistan will have a stronger arsenal with which to fight COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, said the embassy.
It said that the US-Pakistan partnership in the health sector was strengthening the country's ability to fight coronavirus by improving and expanding laboratory testing, disease monitoring, case tracking, infection prevention and control, and patient care.
The United States is contributing more than USD 28 million in new funding so far for COVID-19 response to this vital partnership that is growing every day, the embassy said.
A ventilator takes over the body's breathing process when the disease has caused the lungs to fail. This gives the patient time to fight off the infection and recover.
Pakistan's coronavirus tally reached 277,402 with the detection of 1,114 new cases, with the nationwide death toll standing at 5,924, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Thursday.
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At least 200 dead in Congo coltan mine collapse, authorities say, as rebels dispute toll
Goma (Congo) (AP): A mine collapse on Tuesday at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine.
The collapse took place on Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines on Wednesday.
Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the figure and said that the collapse was caused by “bombings” and only five people had been killed.
“I can confirm that what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bombings, and the death toll isn't what people are saying. It's simply about five people who died,” Kaj said.
Ibrahim Taluseke, a miner at the site, said that he had helped to recover over 200 bodies from the area.
“We are afraid, but these are lives that are in danger,” said Taluseke. “The owners of the pits do not accept that the exact number of deaths be revealed.”
Rubaya lies in the heart of eastern Congo, a mineral-rich part of the Central African nation which for decades has been ripped apart by violence from government forces and different armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.
Congo is a major supplier of coltan, a black metallic ore that contains the rare metal tantalum, a key component in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.
The country produced about 40 per cent of the world's coltan in 2023, according to the US Geological Survey, with Australia, Canada and Brazil being other big suppliers. Over 15 per cent of the world's supply of tantalum comes from Rubaya's mines.
In May 2024, M23 seized the town and took control of its mines. According to a UN report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least USD 800,000 a month.
Eastern Congo has been in and out of crisis for decades. Various conflicts have created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, including more than 300,000 who have fled their homes since December.
In June, the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed a peace deal brokered by the US and negotiations continue between rebels and Congo. However, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, continuing to claim numerous civilian and military casualties.
The deal between Congo and Rwanda also opens up access to critical minerals for the US government and American companies.
A similar collapse last month killed over 200.
