WUHAN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foundation has purchased 56 ventilators from overseas to aid in the treatment of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in central China's Hubei Province.
China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) purchased the equipment with raised funds of 11.38 million yuan (1.63 million U.S. dollars).
Among them, 36 have arrived at hospitals in the cities of Wuhan and Xiaogan, which would be installed and utilized by Friday. The others would be delivered to Huanggang Central Hospital in the city of Huanggang by Feb. 20, the provincial women's federation said late Thursday.
The CWDF also purchased a second batch of medical equipment, including respirators, worth a total of 8.4 million yuan, which will soon be delivered to designated hospitals in the province, according to the federation.
"Patients in serious condition may face breathing difficulty, and ventilators are an important tool to help them pull through," said Ye Yanqing, a senior respiratory doctor from the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, one of the hospitals receiving the equipment.
Many hospitals in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has a severe shortage of respirators, according to Ye, also secretary-general of the provincial medical women's association.
Among the 36,719 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 7,593 were still in severe condition and another 1,685 in critical condition in Hubei as of Thursday, the provincial health commission said Friday.
