Rabat – South Korea’s International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has launched a project aiming to support Morocco’s health establishments in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project, developed in partnership with NGO Global Care and Morocco’s Ministry of Health, aims to provide Moroccan hospitals and medical facilities with medical equipment and protective gear for health workers.
It also aims to raise the awareness among Moroccans about COVID-19 and provide psychological support for vulnerable social groups.
The project extends over a period of five months, between August and December 2020.
In addition to equipment, KOICA will provide Moroccan local hospitals with two softwares. The digital systems are a COVID-19 self-diagnosis application, as well as a QR code system allowing for quick and automated response to COVID-19 cases.
The QR code system would securely and accurately provide information on people who made contact with COVID-19 patients without invading their privacy, KOICA explained.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 self-diagnosis application can be used by individuals to check for symptoms, such as fever, headache, and breathing difficulties.
KOICA’s project also includes several virtual conferences that will bring experts and researchers from Morocco and South Korea together to ensure an exchange of knowledge and experiences.
The conferences would also aim to explain the functioning of the Korean technologies shared with Moroccan hospitals.
The project is part of South Korea’s commitment to support its partner countries, including Morocco, in their fight against COVID-19.
Previous initiatives
The initiative is not the first of its kind since the start of the pandemic. In June, KOICA and the Association for the Promotion of Moroccan-Korean Cooperation (AMACO) donated a package of medical equipment to the Ibn Sina University Hospital in Rabat and the Provincial Health Center of Sale.
The donation, worth over $13,000, included face masks, infrared thermometers, coats, and disinfectants.
KOICA also previously donated five “walk-through” testing booths for COVID-19. The booths, developed by Korean experts, offer quick and accurate screening, enabling mass testing for COVID-19.
Morocco and South Korea have maintained excellent bilateral cooperation since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1962.
The two countries partnered under Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) as well as the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income. Morocco and South Korea signed both agreements in January 1999 and they entered into force in June of 2000.