Turkey to send medical aid to Afghanistan, Guinea

Turkey will send medical aid to Afghanistan and Guinea under international agreements signed with these countries, according to a ruling published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.

"The agreement between the government of the Republic of Turkey and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on donation in the field of health" was signed on May 15 in Ankara, read the gazette.

As part of the deal, Turkey will donate a number of medical and lab devices including "5 pieces of patient observation machines, 10 pieces of ventilators, 10 pieces of oxygen concentrator, 10 pieces of oxygen regulators, 10 aspirators, 2 pieces of steam sterilizer autoclave, 10 laryngoscopes, 2 defibrillators, 3 PCR machines, 10 nebulizers and 30,000 Covid-19 RT-q PCR diagnostic test kits."

Turkey will also donate medications to Afghanistan, which include 1,000 boxes of vitamin C, 1000 boxes of azithromycin, 1000 hydroxychloroquine sulphate -- used for treating coronavirus --, and 500 boxes of vitamin D.

Another 25,000 pieces of disposable N95 face masks and 50,000 pieces of surgical and normal masks are to be donated to Afghanistan as part of the agreement.

"This donation is granted by the government of the Republic of Turkey to the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as a gesture of friendship and goodwill," the agreement said.

Separately, another agreement between "the government of the Republic of Turkey and the government of the Republic of Guinea on donation in the field of health" was signed on April 17 in Ankara.

According to the deal, Turkey will donate 300,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 face masks, 20,000 pieces of protective coveralls, 30,000 PCR diagnostic kits, 30,000 extraction kits and 30,000 swabs to Guinea.

The medical aid by Turkey was also "granted to the government of the Republic of Guinea as a gesture of friendship and goodwill," and it is to be used towards primary health services in Guinea.