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

James R. Moore, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy presented the aid package valued at $77,000 (Rs 8.77 million) the Sri Lankan Minister of Health Care and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva today.

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

According to the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. donation includes five kits containing basic medical care items such as bandages, medicines, supplies and equipment, each enough to supply primary care for 10,000 patients.

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