Damascus, Oct 25 (IANS): The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 8.8 tonnes of pmedical supplies to Syria to aid the country's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, state media reported.

The shipment, delivered to the country on Saturday through the Damascus International Airport, included personal protection gear for health workers as well as medications and other medical equipment, Xinhua news agency reported citing the state media as saying.

After signing a receipt note, Ahmed al-Mandhari, the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said the global health body was able to supply the Eastern Mediterranean countries with various necessary needs.

He said the WHO provided laboratory aids for disease diagnosis and training courses for health workers in addition to working on providing them with personal protection needs and drawing plans to implement what the science has reached to deal with the pandemic.

Syrian Health Minister Assistant Ahmad Khleifawi stressed the importance of the visit of the WHO delegation as it is the first for the organization's regional director to Syria after the outbreak of the pandemic.

The overall official number of Covid-19 cases in Syria is 5,319, with 1,692 recoveries and 264 deaths.