The Central African Republic (CAR) has only three ventilators for a population of five million, leaving the country facing a difficult battle against coronavirus, the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Three ventilators in a country of five million people is setting the country up for catastrophe,” said David Manan, Norwegian Refugee Council Country Director in the CAR, in the statement.
“Covid-19 has the potential to tear through the Central African Republic at lightning speed if the country doesn’t get the support it needs to adequately protect itself against the virus.”
CAR has had six cases of the virus diagnosed so far, all of which were imported, but there is a concern that the virus may have been spreading undetected due to a lack of tests in the country.
“When rich nations are in panic mode, stating that thousands of ventilators will not be enough, it just brings to light how poorer nations like the Central African Republic don’t stand a chance in the fight against Covid-19,” added Manan.
