Pope Francis has donated ventilators to 12 developing nations, including Bangladesh, as part of medical assistance to those infected with the coronavirus.
The Vatican's Office of Papal Charities said in a statement on Friday that 35 ventilators had been sent to those countries through local religious representatives or the Vatican embassy.
The pope donated four ventilators each to Haiti, Venezuela, and Brazil, a country which has suffered more than 50,000 deaths from Covid-19. The aid has also been sent to Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Ecuador, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Ukraine and the Dominican Republic, reports Catholic News Agency (CNA).
These ventilators have been delivered through the local Apostolic Nancy (representatives of religious organizations) or the Vatican embassy. However, the number of ventilators sent to countries other than Brazil, Venezuela and Haiti was not mentioned.
Pope Francis “expresses his closeness to countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially those with more distressed healthcare systems,” the Vatican statement said.
Pope Francis has donated ventilators on several other occasions during the pandemic.
