THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Switzerland flying in 26 tonnes of medical supplies to Bangkok

Switzerland flying in 26 tonnes of medical supplies to Bangkok

Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SHA) dispatched 100 respirators and more than a million antigen tests to Bangkok on Wednesday, the agency said in a press release.

The aid coincides with a tour of Southeast Asia by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis that will include a visit to Thailand.

SWA said that in view of the worrying public health situation in Thailand, the agency "decided to support the country in its efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic".

On Wednesday, a Swiss cargo aircraft carrying the more than 26 tonnes of medical supplies left Zurich for Bangkok. The supplies were provided from the inventory of the Swiss Armed Forces Pharmacy (SAFP) and the Federal Office of Public Health.

The shipment includes around nine million Swiss francs worth of equipment, with the SAFP supplying 100 respirators and the FOPH providing more than a million antigen tests.

The Swiss embassy in Thailand is in close contact with the authorities to ensure that the items are distributed fairly based on need, in accordance with humanitarian principles, SHA said via the press statement.

This shipment, which is part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, coincides with Cassis’s tour of Southeast Asia from August 1 to 6, which includes a visit to Thailand.

Cassis will attend the official handover ceremony for the supplies, which is scheduled to take place on August 2 in Bangkok.

Wednesday’s shipment to Thailand is Switzerland’s seventh international delivery of humanitarian goods in response to the Covid-19 crisis since May.

SHA has already sent supplies, including respirators, oxygen concentrators and personal protective equipment to Indonesia (July 24), Tunisia (July 16), Mongolia (July 2), Sri Lanka (June 7), Nepal (May 21) and India (May 6).

Switzerland continues to monitor the global public health situation relating to Covid-19 and is ready to provide assistance wherever possible upon request, the statement added.

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