Oct 25, 2020

Czech Republic to Get 30 Ventilators From EU

Prague Morning

The Czech Republic will get 30 ventilators from the European Union and is seeking more help and equipment abroad to help grapple with the continent’s worst outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The government has sought to boost numbers of beds, equipment, and personnel, including at a 500-bed field hospital in Letňany, with the aim of being able to take in 15,500 COIVD-19 patients at once.

“Commission President (Ursula) von der Leyen called to tell me a little while ago that the European Commission will immediately supply us 30 ventilators from EU crisis stocks, and that it will connect us with other EU member states which will offer us their free capacities,” Babis tweeted.

“Thank you for solidarity and a very quick reaction. We highly appreciate the help.”

The Czech government agreed to bring up to 300 military personnel from the European Union and NATO member states to help with the coronavirus pandemic.

Read: Up to 300 Foreign Military Doctors Will Help Czech Hospital’s Covid Fight

Moreover, the government has already agreed to call in 28 military doctors from the United States to help the country’s health service with Covid-related hospitalizations.

Apart from the EU supply, the country was talking to NATO to get more through the defense alliance. It has also ordered 1,500 oxygen machines.

Read: Czech Republic Closes Borders to Tourists

The country’s hospitals have about 1,900 standard ventilators used for COVID-19 and other patients, of which nearly half were available as of Wednesday. A crowd-funded ventilator developed by Czech scientists in the spring was granted emergency certification on Thursday.