THE United States government delivered to Davao City on Friday P26.4 million ($528,000) worth of medical supplies and resources through the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to bolster the city’s Covid-19 response.

According to the Information Office Public Affairs Section (IOPAS) of the US Embassy in the Philippines, the supplies delivered included 10 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, four Covid-19 vaccine cold storage units, and other medical equipment and supplies.

The IO-PAS said this new donation adds to the P6.9 million ($138,600) worth of ICU beds and Covid-19 vaccine cold storage units that the DoD donated to the Philippines in October and November.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava handed over the donations to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio at the launch of Davao City’s community-based Covid-19 response.

“As a friend, partner and ally, the United States is one with you in fighting Covid-19 and facilitating long-term initiatives that ensure health, peace and prosperity in the southern Philippines,” Variava said.

The IO-PAS said the USAid partnered with the Davao City Health Office to develop a plan to facilitate fast, accessible and free Covid-19 services by setting up eight Covid-19 cluster clinics in strategic locations that will

provide effective and efficient triaging, testing, contact tracing, monitoring and management of Covid-19.

Maj. Scott Holub, Special Operations Task Force 511.2 commanding officer, said these challenging times reinforced the strength of our partnership.

“Our donation to the Covid-19 cluster clinic represents our continued support to the southern Philippines in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” Holub said.

He said the donated refrigerators bolstered Davao’s efforts by providing the capacity to store 80,000 vaccines while the ICU beds provided the capacity for extended patient care.

Meanwhile, Dr. Roy Ferrer, Department of Health assistant secretary, welcomed the support and partnership with the US government.

Ferrer said the USAid assistance in improving local health system capacities — by engaging barangay (village) stakeholders to strengthen prevention, detection, isolation and referral to District Health Offices — proved vital in mitigating the spread of infection in the community.

“USAid’s support in increasing capacity in case detection and testing is evident through the dispatch of mobile swabbing teams and provision of testing kits and supplies, which now includes the deployment of vaccination teams to far-flung areas,” he said.

The IO-PAS noted that the United States had provided to date more than P1.9 billion ($39 million) to support the Philippines’ Covid-19 response.

During her trip to Davao, Variava also visited the Philippine Eagle Center.