Minor Hotel Group has donated a PCR testing machine to the Maldives, to support the country’s Covid-19 combat efforts.

The Ministry of Economic and Trade revealed this via Twitter on Friday.

In addition to the PCR machine, the group has also donated 100 gallons of hand sanitizer.

Noting that both are “critical medical equipment” required in Maldives fight against Covid-19, the ministry thanked the group for the “generous” donation.

Minor Hotel Group is an international hotel owner, operator and investor currently with 537 hotels in operation in 55 countries across the world including the Maldives.

The PCR machine is especially appreciated, given that there still are concerns over the country’s testing capacity.

As authorities work to ease Covid-19 movement restriction measures from May 28, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had stressed that this will be done after ensuring that testing capacity is increased, as well as after determining that the country has enough healthcare resources and medical equipment in order to treat patients.

The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has revealed that the country will be able to conduct 1,200 per day after ADK Hospital begins Covid-19 testing on Sunday, and after the new extraction machine at the state-run Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is readied.

Two additional BioFire PCR testing machines are to arrive in Maldives next week.