ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Saturday said that the donation of 100 American made ventilators to Pakistan symbolized the strong bilateral partnership on the Covid-19 pandemic.

"American innovation and expertise is critical to the fight against Covid-19. This donation of 100 US-produced ventilators to Pakistan symbolizes our strong partnership on CoviD-19. The US is committed to providing ventilators around the world," the secretary of state said on Twitter.

On Friday, the USAID donated 100 "brand-new" and "state-of-the-art" ventilators to Pakistan in cooperation with National Disaster Management Authority. The ventilator are valued at about $3 million and are compact, easily deployable, and will enable Pakistan to more effectively treat patients suffering from COVID-19.

State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said, "Today, the US reaffirmed its commitment to helping Pakistan fight COVID-19 with a delivery of 100 new US-produced ventilators that will help save lives."

"This is another example of our commitment to fighting COVID-19 and the strength of the US-Pakistan partnership. Together, we can defeat this pandemic," said State Department's Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on her Twitter handle. After receiving the shipment, the NDMA would distribute all 100 ventilators to hospitals across the country including 13 to Balochistan, 27 to KP, 23 Punjab, 26 Sindh, six AJK and five to GB.