Covid-19: Kenya to Receive More Medical Equipment from Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has donated additional medical equipment to Africa to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Ma, through Twitter on Monday, said his second donation to Africa includes 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits and face shields, 2,000 thermometers, one million swabs, and extraction kits and 500,000 gloves.

The Alibaba co-founder said the consignment containing the equipment will be shipped to Ethiopia, from where they will be distributed to the 54 African countries.

“Our second donation to 54 countries in Africa is on the way. That includes 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits & face shields, 2,000 thermometers, 1 million swabs & extraction kits and 500,000 gloves. Thank you @AbiyAhmedAli @flyethiopian @AfricaCDC @WFP for your partnership. Stay safe Africa!” Ma tweeted.

This comes three weeks after Ma donated a total of 1.1 million testing kits, 6 million masks and 60,000 medical use protective suits and face shields to African nations.

Each of the 54 African countries, including Kenya, received 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks, and 1,000 medical use protective suits and face shields.

“We cannot ignore the potential risk to Africa and assume this continent of 1.3 billion people will blissfully escape this crisis. The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a COVID-19 pandemic in Africa,” Ma said last month.

In addition, the Chinese philanthropist supplied online training material for Covid-19 clinical treatment to African medical institutions through Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation.

Addressing the nation on March 25th, President Kenyatta thanked Ma for donating the equipment to Kenya.

"We are grateful to the many friends of Kenya across the globe like Jack Ma who donated testing kits and other equipment to support us in this battle," Uhuru said.