The Chinese government has donated 96 tonnes of medicine to Venezuela to help patients suffering from the Zika virus and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The shipment included therapy fluid and immuno-globulin G, used to hydrate patients and boost immune systems. The Zika virus has been linked to a spike in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, causing temporary paralysis that can be fatal.

Hospitals in the Venezuelan capital are struggling to provide vital health care services amid a severe economic crisis. Earlier this February, the Health Ministry reported more than 5,000 suspected Zika cases and three related deaths.

"Today we are receiving 96 tons of therapy fluid and immunoglobulin G. This shipment is part of what has been deepening trade relations between China and Venezuela since 2014. And this cooperation is so diverse that it includes the acquisition of raw materials as well as any type of medication," said Luisana Melo, Venezuelan Health minister.

"In 2014, with President Xi Jinping's visit to Venezuela, both countries raised the status of their relationship to that of a strategic partnership, and because of that, both parties are striving to strengthen all aspects of their cooperation," said Zhao Bentang, Chinese ambassador to Venezuela.