UK finances production of breathing devices in Pakistan
The United Kingdom is financing Pakistan for the development and production of a High Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) device.
That can also be used as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, by Alsons Group which is Pakistan’s premier precision engineering company.
UK is doing that through Karandaaz’s Risk Participation Facility with Meezan Bank.
Karandaaz funded by the UK’s Office of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO);
Has established a $50 million financing programme with Meezan Bank, which enables vendors and distributors of participating corporates.
And also enables other eligible small and medium enterprises to get access to finance.
Country director development on financing Pakistan
Annabel Gerry who is the Country Director Development for British High Commission in Pakistan, said:
“Pakistan’s response to the Covid-19 challenge has been commendable. The United Kingdom is pleased to be supporting Pakistan in its effort to tackle the pandemic.”
She added:
“Our financing assistance through Karandaaz to support breathing devices will be an important element in easing the burden of serious disease in the country.”
Ali Sarfraz who is the CEO of Karandaaz, said:
“With more than 300,000 cases of Covid-19 in Pakistan and well over 25.6 million globally, the demand for breathing devices and ventilators has grown exponentially.”
Pakistan’s Struggle with pandemic
Pakistan has seen its coronavirus epidemic explode, seeing multiple consecutive days of record deaths and case rises across the country.
By pushing hospitals in major cities to the brink of their allocated capacity.
Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province;
It saw a large number of patients coming in from all over the province due to the relatively poor health infrastructure elsewhere, doctors say.
Peshawar’s Dr Kashif said during the pandemic;
“Our healthcare workers are exhausted, they have been working for three months straight without a break.”
Even with the shortage of resources Pakistan fought this battle against coronavirus with all its might, and it’s still doing so.
