Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 07, 2021 (SKNIS): On Friday 6th August 2021, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through resident Ambassador His Excellency Michael C.H. Lin (LIN, Chau Horng), donated 20 brand new Oxygen Concentrators to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis. Present at the handing over ceremony were the Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Minister of Health and Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson.
Ambassador Lin praised St. Kitts and Nevis for its handling of the COVID-19 virus.
“On behalf of the Government of the Republic China (Taiwan), we would like to present a donation of 20 Oxygen Concentrators that are made in Taiwan. These machines look like normal machines, but to the patients in a sickbed, these are lifesaving machines. Hopefully, this donation will never be used in the hospitals, which means there would be no patients that would need to use these machines. St. Kitts and Nevis has been leading the world in the performance in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and is now one of the safest countries in the world. However, some new variants of COVID-19 are still ravaging the world; it is necessary to enhance the capacity of hospitals in case a new wave hits the Federation”, said Ambassador Lin
Accepting the donation of behalf of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis was the Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Premier of Nevis who also expressed gratitude for the donation and noted the strong relationship between Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Taiwan has demonstrated over the years that it is not only our friend but our best friend. Throughout this pandemic, Taiwan has been there with us and we must put that into context since Taiwan has had its own problems with COVID-19. Countries like Taiwan have been able to assist others notwithstanding their own concerns in their country. Today, we accept a generous donation of 20 Oxygen Concentrators…which across St. Kitts and Nevis our healthcare system has been strengthened by this equipment,” said Minister Brantley.
Additionally, the Minister of Health showed her appreciation for the donation.
“The Ministry of Health is extremely delighted to receive a donation of Oxygen Concentrators from the Ambassador of Taiwan. These concentrators will be used as we continue to combat COVID-19. As you know, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, and this equipment will be used for patients who have an extreme reaction of COVID-19 and who may need assistance. Outside of COVID-19, there are a number of other respiratory diseases that require the use of Oxygen Concentrators as well, so these 20 devices will be put to good use at both the JNF General Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis”, said Minister Byron-Nisbett.
Dr. Cameron Wilkinson also expressed gratitude for the donation from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and stressed the importance of having the devices in the local health care system.
“We first have to understand that the concentration of oxygen in the air that we breathe is 21 percent and there are some persons who are ill and that concentration in air is not sufficient to supply their oxygen needs. Ordinarily, we would have to bring major cylinders in from a factory where the oxygen was concentrated; now these concentrators can simply be plugged in at the bedside and concentrate the oxygen and supply as much as five liters of oxygen per minute to these persons. So, this is a significant step in the right direction for persons who are suffering from COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases,” said Dr.Wilkinson.
As of August 5, 2021, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has recorded over 60 percent of the adult population being fully vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 virus. Persons who are yet to be vaccinated are encouraged to do so at the soonest in order to join the fight against COVID-19.