Concerns over shortage of protective equipment for UK medics.
A large number of medical gowns are on their way from Egypt to the UK to help British doctors and nurses tackle the coronavirus.
UK Trade Minister Greg Hands said on Monday that after several calls with the British ambassador to Egypt and engagement with Britain’s Department for International Trade, the medical gowns had been sent.
The gowns, designed to resist droplets that can cause the virus to spread, will help with British medics’ urgent need for personal protective equipment.
They were highly effective for health workers battling the virus in Italy.
Mr Hands tweeted his thanks to Egypt.
There have been concerns over the lack of protective equipment available to frontline staff in Britain’s National Health Service.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers in England, which represents hospital trusts, on Monday said the number of gowns available to staff in some parts of the country was “very, very low”.
Hours later, The Guardian newspaper reported that the UK missed three opportunities to be part of an EU scheme to buy masks, gowns and gloves in bulk, and was absent from key talks about future purchases.
European medics will receive the first batch of €1.5 billion (Dh6.01bn/US$1.64bn) worth of personal protective equipment within two weeks in a joint scheme involving 25 nations and eight companies. The UK is not included in this scheme.
A total of 11,329 patients have died in British hospitals after testing positive for the coronavirus, up by 717 in the past 24 hours.
Source: thenational.ae
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