Venezuela: Medical equipment – a matter of life and death

We provided extensive support to the health facilities concerned. Between 2019 and the first quarter of 2024, the ICRC donated 812 items of equipment and repaired 417 at a number of health facilities, mainly in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, Bolívar, Apure, Táchira and Zulia. These donations and repairs played a vital role in ensuring that 1,021,036 people could obtain treatment in emergency departments and primary health-care facilities, preventing long-term effects or death.

The main equipment donated included X-ray equipment, systems for monitoring patients’ vital signs, haemoglobinometers, glucometers (for measuring blood sugar levels), dermatomes (used when carrying out skin grafts for burns patients), electrocardiographs (for measuring heart activity) and oxygen concentrators (to treat patients with breathing difficulties), along with spare parts and consumables.