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Paidamoyo Chipunza Herald Reporter
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday donated a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine and personal protective equipment (PPE) worth over US$40 000 to the Government of Zimbabwe.

The machine will add to five others which were already being used in Harare and Bulawayo to provide confirmatory tests for Covid-19.

Officially handing over the machine and PPEs to the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Harare yesterday, WHO country representative Dr Alex Gasasira said the donation was made possible through assistance from different partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

He said transportation of the equipment was facilitated by the United Nations and its agencies as well as the African Union.

Dr Gasasira commended Zimbabwe for its efforts in responding to Covid-19 adding that WHO remained committed to assisting Government tackle the pandemic.

“We are very encouraged by efforts by the Government of Zimbabwe to scale up testing, to scale up surveillance, to scale up the capacity to isolate the infected because this is the way transmission can be contained,” said Dr  Gasasira.

Accepting the assistance, Dr Moyo assured stakeholders of transparency and accountability.

He said the machine would go a long way in making the country’s decentralisation process a reality, while PPEs would ensure that frontline health workers were protected.

“We really appreciate this gesture and hope that you will continue supporting us as you have always done.

“PPE is the ammunition required by our health workers right now and the PCR machine will indeed help us improve coverage of definitive testing to Covid-19,” said Dr Moyo.

The country continues to receive PPE from different partners as well as other materials to fight Covid-19.