On 31 May 2021, North Macedonia received medical equipment and supplies from NATO’s Pandemic Response Stockpile, including 50-fingertip pulse oximeters, liquid disinfectant and various items of personal protective equipment. NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) facilitated this assistance, in response to a request from North Macedonia.
The fingertip pulse oximeters are part of an ongoing project for the Ministry of Health, sponsored by the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The disinfectant and personal protective equipment are part of a new project, entirely sponsored by Poland, for the Ministry of the Interior, for which the Polish Embassy in Skopje is supporting distribution.
This consignment of aid is part of the overall assistance Allies have agreed to provide North Macedonia to address the severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It complements the previous donation of 64 ventilators (provided by Slovakia and the United States), operational and maintenance supplies for the ventilators, as well as 6,000 litres of surface disinfectant (provided by Latvia) through the NATO Pandemic Response Trust Fund. The trust fund maintains a stockpile of medical equipment and supplies in order to provide immediate relief to Allies or partners in need.