The Regional Secretary for Health announced today an investment of approximately 9.3 million Euros in personal protective equipment as well as in the acquisition of reagents and laboratory consumables under the COVID-19 prevention and containment strategy.

Teresa Machado Luciano spoke in Angra do Heroísmo at a press conference to present measures aimed at strengthening the Regional Health Service in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Secretary for Health informed that the equipment “has already arrived in the Region and will begin to be delivered next week.” It will guarantee “the best working and safety conditions for the approximately 5,200 health professionals and 900 civil protection agents and firefighters in the Azores as well as to the social technicians directly involved in this fight."
 
In an investment of 9.3 million euros, the Government purchased “970 thousand surgical masks, 1,058,600 FFP2 masks, 9,800 FFP3 masks for protection against biological agents and 3,250 masks with integrated visor,” revealed the Regional Secretary for Health. 

Moreover, the Government will proceed with the immediate delivery of "59,740 individual protective suits, 62,540 disposable protective glasses, 57,460 waterproof single-use gowns, 2,881,760 non-sterile gloves, 142,209 sterile surgical gloves, 82,712 single-use surgical caps and 61,900 shoe covers," added Teresa Machado Luciano. 

The Secretary for Health also emphasised “the acquisition of reagents and laboratory consumables to expand our capacity to conduct 51 thousand tests. The delivery of the necessary materials for the two hospital laboratories will start next week."

The Regional Secretary stressed that, even with these important acquisitions, “the daily monitoring of consumption and needs of hospitals and island health units throughout the Region” will continue, with “the possibility of new acquisitions in national and international markets."
 
The effort to provide professionals with the necessary means to carry out their mission in safety was “particularly challenging and even demanded a persistent business process in national and international markets for the acquisition of this type of hospital material,” added Teresa Machado Luciano.