Japan Donates P15M Worth of Vital Equipment to Fight COVID-19 in Philippines

MANILA – More than 15 million pesos worth of laboratory equipment for the surveillance and management of the novel coronavirus in San Lazaro Hospital have been provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to help the Philippines’ pandemic response efforts.

San Lazaro Hospital is one of JICA’s institutional partners in the country in the public health sector.

"This provision of additional laboratory equipment is yet another important milestone in the Philippine-Japan health cooperation and supports steps towards furthering our response and recovery efforts, advancing universal health care, and strengthening health security at large," DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said.

JICA has been supporting the Philippines' COVID-19 response through equipment and medical supplies.

"The equipment from JICA will certainly be useful in the Philippines’ detection, treatment, and management of COVID-19 cases. In these times, we recognize the importance of having sufficient number of equipment to effectively provide quality medical services, even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic,” JICA Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa noted.

Aside from Azukizawa and Vega, also present during the turnover ceremony last March 2 were San Lazaro Medical Center Chief Dr. Edmundo Lopez and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa.

“We will overcome this public health challenge alongside each other.  In this evolving health landscape, surely, you can always count on Japan. Japan will also count on Philippines,” Koshikawa emphasized. - FJJ

(Photo courtesy of Japan Embassy, Manila. From left to right: JICA Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines  Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Dr. Edmundo Lopez, Chief of Hospital of the San Lazaro Hospital, and Undersecretary of Health Leopoldo Vega)