(TAP)- Tunisia took delivery Friday of 16 portable ultrasound machines and 73 incubators for newborns as part of a second batch of medical supplies donated by Japan.

This donation, worth a total of 500 million yen (TND 12.4 million), includes a total of 41 portable ultrasound machines and 73 incubators for newborns, said the Japanese embassy in Tunis.

Health Minister Ali Mrabet told reporters, on the sidelines of a ceremony to take delivery of the donation, the first batch (25 portable ultrasound machines) was handed over in June 2021.

“The medical equipment handed over Friday is a second batch consisting of high-technology products. It will be given to neonatology services in various Tunisian hospitals, ” he further said.

Japanese Ambassador to Tunisia Shinsuke SHIMIZU said ultrasound systems are light and resistant, while incubators are energy efficient and water tight for an increased protection of newborns.

The equipment will help beef up the capabilities of Tunisian hospitals, notably emergency and maternity wards which are essential in fighting the pandemic.

Source: TAP News Agency