The Nepal Army (NA) will procure 340 tons medical supplies from China through government to government arrangements.
"We have signed the agreement today and sent that. It will also be signed there. Only sending money remains to be done now," NA Spokesperson Bigyan Dev Pandey told Setopati. "The Chinese side has expressed commitment to send the materials within seven days of us sending the money. We will send the money most likely on Monday."
He added that the total cost of the medical supplies to be procured from China will be known only on Monday. He pointed that the materials will be brought in multiple stages due to the large quantity, and stated that very essential items will arrive in the first stage in seven to 10 days.
China will gather all the materials in Guangzhou and the government will have to bring them from there.
The Department of Health Services, meanwhile, has also signed procurement agreement with three companies worth almost Rs 300 million. Chief of the management division at the department Bhogendra Dotel said the materials will arrive within two weeks, as per the agreements signed on Friday.
He said decision on the materials to be procured has been taken considering the materials that the NA can bring and the needs after conducting a study.
Managing Director of Om Surgical, one of the three companies to have signed agreement, Dal Bahadur Bhandari said it has already handed over some materials that it had, and the remaining will be brought and delivered gradually.
Bhandari revealed that Om has signed agreement worth Rs 189,562,000 for 14 kinds of materials.
