US donates two portable x-ray machines to Cyprus hospitals (video)

The US has donated two digital portable x-ray machines worth €164,00 to the Republic of Cyprus to be used for Covid-19 patients at Nicosia and Larnaca General Hospitals.

One was handed over on Thursday by US ambassador Judith Garber to Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou at a ceremony held at Nicosia General Hospital.

Speaking at the ceremony, Garber thanked the Cyprus government for its efforts to combat the pandemic and expressed deep gratitude to health professionals for their dedication and sacrifices to keep us all safe.

The good news is that the vaccines are here, and the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter and brighter, she added quoting US President Joe Biden.

It was clear that no country can tackle the pandemic on its own, she said adding that she was proud to donate the equipment.

This was the fifth donation of medical equipment and supplies from the US to Cyprus made through the good offices of the US European Command which has so far supported 145 projects in 24 countries.

The US has contributed $12.5 billion to the global response against the pandemic for vaccines, treatment development and humanitarian aid, Garber said.

Washington has donated 16 million vaccines worldwide and the Biden administration has pledged $2 billion to COVAX so as to facilitate equal vaccine accessibility among countries and a further donation is expected soon, she added.

Ioannou thanked the US for its support and solidarity to frontline health professionals at the state hospitals. The X-ray equipment donated to Nicosia and Larnaca Hospitals, further proof of this solidarity, will facilitate diagnosis and treatment of Covid patients who cannot move because of the state of their health, he said. In the future, the equipment will be used for the treatment of all patients.

Executive general manager of the state health services (Okypy) for Nicosia, Kyriakos Georgiou said thanks to Garber’s personal efforts, the relationship between the US embassy and Okypy has been very productive from the start.

The equipment donated on Thursday was of vital importance for any modern hospital, and even more significant during the pandemic, offering many advantages compared to older equipment.

Specifically, the new units offer better performance, quicker diagnosis, better image quality and a lower dose of radiation to patients, he said.

The images are automatically transferred to a medical image archiving and communication system which allows immediate diagnosis from medical professionals at any time, whether they are at the hospital or not. It also makes it possible to ask for a second opinion from anyone in the world, he added.