March 29, 2024, 7:33 am


Al Fahad

Published:
2020-02-16 23:46:30 BdST

China provides ‘most advanced kits’ to Bangladesh to detect coronavirus


China is giving 500 sets of what it calls, the ‘most advanced kits’, to Bangladesh to identify coronavirus.

They are expected to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming said at a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

“These are real-time fluorescent RT-PCR kits for detecting the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and are the first such donation to any country from China,” Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister (Counsellor) of the Embassy Yan Hualong told UNB after the meeting.

He said more such kits will be provided if any case is confirmed in Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Momen said China has been very helpful to Bangladesh throughout the process and recalled Chinese government’s support in bringing back 312 Bangladesh nationals from Wuhan city, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

He said the Bangladeshis returned home after 14 days of observation.

“We’re in touch [with China],” he said, referring to Prime Minister Sheiklh Hasina’s recent message to the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

To fight further spread of the new virus outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a $675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020.

“My biggest worry is there’re countries today who don’t have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers.”

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus lays out activities and resources needed by international health organisations globally, including WHO, to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare and respond to the virus for a period of February-April 2020.

Coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 69,000 people globally and killed over 1,660 people. The virus has spread to more than two dozen countries and affected global trade.

Ambassador Li Jiming had urged everyone to remain alert instead of creating panic and spreading rumours, noting that no Chinese national here and no Bangladesh national in China is infected with coronavirus.

The Chinese Ambassador also expressed displeasure for what he said overreaction from countries like the USA and Australia to the situation.

"Let general people be alert but don't create panic. No panic, no rumour, and be rational," Ambassador Li Jiming told reporters at the Embassy adding that there is no need for “overreaction” to the situation.

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