Japan has agreed to provide JPY2 billion (US$18.82 million) in non-refundable aid to Vietnam for the Covid-19 battle in the country.

Vietnamese Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio at the signing ceremony on September 7. Photo: Tran Minh

The financial assistance will focus on purchasing medical equipment, improving check-up and treatment capacities to minimize the pandemic-caused deaths, according to the Exchange of Notes signed by Vietnamese Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio on September 7.

The aid would be disbursed in 18 months beginning from August.

The beneficiaries include four hospitals namely National Lung Hospital, National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, and Danang C Hospital.

This aid has been initiated by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi with an aim to support a number of countries as soon as possible.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio (2nd right) and Shimizu Akira, Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office (1st right). Photo: Tran Minh

According to the ambassador, the government of Japan since the start of the pandemic has financed about US$19 million while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided technical support, test kit, personal protection equipment, face masks, shield, among others worth US$1.6 million to Vietnam.

In June and July, the JICA supplied extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit, and medical equipment to Cho Ray Hospital, the largest general hospital is tasked with treating Covid-19 patients and functions as a training centre for 21 lower-level hospitals in the south of Vietnam.

At the meeting on Monday, the Vietnamese health acting minister and the Japanese ambassador also discussed safety measures for the passengers after Vietnam and Japan resume air routes; quarantine of Japanese experts in Vietnam; and re-licensing of some kinds of Japanese drug in Vietnam.

At the event, Ambassador Yamada Takio thanked Vietnam for donating 1.3 million face masks at a time when Japan was in need of this kind of products.