Essential healthcare goods flown in from China
Valencia government is trying to source more materials to protect healthcare workers
TWO more planes have arrived from China with essential materials for the Valencia region health service to fight the coronavirus.
The flights, which landed on Tuesday evening, were organised by the regional government.
A spokesman for the Valencia government said the deliveries would allow them to continue guaranteeing supply to hospitals and other frontline services.
He reminded that they had set up ‘operation silk route’ at the beginning of last week to source much-needed health products from China as the country ‘currently has the best capacity to produce these essential items’.
The first flight landed on Tuesday last week, bringing in 3.8 million facemasks, 5,000 protective suits, 200,000 pairs of gloves and goggles to protect health care workers.
The first of this week’s cargos came on board a plane which landed in Zaragoza carrying 600,000 facemasks – 400,000 of which were classed as ‘surgical’; along with 10,000 pairs of protective goggles and 10,031 protective suits.
The spokesman added that they were also able to import a further 300,000 facemasks via an Air China service operating from Shanghai to Barcelona.
All the products were brought by road to a regional government logistics centre.
The spokesman explained that from there they would be distributed to local health departments and other frontline services.
“The regional government is working very hard to secure additional flights so we can continue to ensure supply in the coming weeks,” said the spokesman.
Regional president Ximo Puig thanked the national government for the effort they have made to supply the regional healthcare service but noted that it had not been enough.
He said it was their priority to protect healthcare professionals and social services employees, who are the ‘real army’ fighting the coronavirus.
Sr Puig also urged the general public to take the lockdown situation seriously and protect themselves so confinement does not have to be extended beyond April 12.