Premier Alan Winde today received a donation of ventilators from the Consul General of the United States, Virginia Blaser. These 20 form part of a donation of 50 ventilators which the United States has made to South Africa.

These ventilators were accepted by doctors from the Tygerberg and to Groote Schuur hospitals, where they will be used to treat seriously ill, and ICU patients.

Winde said: “The ventilators are smaller and more portable than many of the ventilators that we currently have in our healthcare system, allow for intubation and non-invasive ventilation and therefore will give doctors treating patients a greater degree of flexibility when moving patients and determining the best treatment options (see attached fact sheet about the ventilators).

The Western Cape has been working hard to prepare our healthcare systems, and these new ventilators will allow us to deliver potentially life-saving treatment to many more people. We thank the United States consulate in South Africa for their assistance during this pandemic, and for their partnership which stretches back many years.”

Consul General Virginia Blaser said: “While today we mark the donation of 20 ventilators, we are really marking 20 years of life saving partnership between the United States and the Western Cape. Through PEPFAR, we are supporting over 4.7 million people living with HIV in South Africa. It is my hope that these ventilators will also offer life-saving support in the battle against COVID-19”.