Chargé d'Affaires, Christopher Klein and Major General Nguyễn Xuân Kiên, Director of the Việt Nam Ministry of National Defense's Military Medical Department, at the handover ceremony. — Photo Courtesy of The US Embassy in Hà Nội

HÀ NỘI — The US Embassy in Việt Nam on Tuesday presented laboratory equipment for COVID-19 testing to the Ministry of National Defence to help the fight against coronavirus.

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine and mobile lab equipment is a gift from the United States Department of Defense to strengthen Việt Nam’s pandemic response by enhancing Việt Nam’s mobile testing capabilities.

The lab equipment is a part of the ongoing health cooperation between the United States and Việt Nam.

On behalf of the Ministry of National Defence, Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Xuân Kiên, Director of the Military Medicine Department under the General Department of Logistics, thanked the US Embassy for the donation, saying it is very timely and important as it will help ease testing overload in Việt Nam and increase the ministry’s capacity in COVID-19 response in the future.

“The United States and Việt Nam have worked closely over the past 26 years building our relationship on trust and mutual respect.” Chargé d’Affaires a. i. Christopher Klein stated, adding that “working together, we can overcome the difficulties COVID-19 has imposed on all of us.”

He thanked Việt Nam for supplying millions of pieces of personal protective equipment to the American people last year.

He committed to continue to advocate for more vaccine support for Việt Nam.

Việt Nam has reported 22,741 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon including 20,459 locally transmitted cases and 1.882 imported cases.

Nearly 19,000 cases were reported since April 27 which marked the start of the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Việt Nam.

To date, the United States government has supported Việt Nam’s health system development with over $1 billion in health assistance, including HIV/AIDS relief, influenza detection and management, and over $13 million in support for Việt Nam’s COVID-19 response.

Last September, the United States donated 100 American-made ventilators to Việt Nam, and the Biden administration has pledged to provide hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, some of which will go to Việt Nam. — VNS