The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday (30)donated equipment and basic medical supplies to the Ministry of Health to treat 50,000 civilians at hospitals in the North.

James R. Moore, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, made the presentation to Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Health Care and Nutrition.

The U.S. donation, valued at $77,000 (Rs 8.77 million), includes five kits with basic medical care items such as bandages, medicines, supplies and equipment. The kits are approved by the World Health Organization and each contains enough supplies to provide primary care to 10,000 patients.

The Ministry of Health will distribute these supplies to hospitals in Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, and Anuradhapura.

USAID, the development agency of the U.S. Government, made the donation through its Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

Since 1956, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka.