DONATION. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) and Thai Ambassador to the Philippines Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng (right) lead the ceremony for Thailand's donation of two negative pressure isolation rooms to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on Friday (Sept. 25, 2020). Ruangprateepsaeng reaffirmed Bangkok’s commitment to working closely with Manila to build further upon the cooperation between the two countries and to tackle the challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of the DND Public Affairs Service)
MANILA – The Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC)'s capability to respond to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) got a significant boost following the donation of the Kingdom of Thailand of two negative pressure isolation rooms on Friday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana together with VMMC medical director, Dr. Dominador Chiong, Jr., received the donation from the Kingdom of Thailand, Ministry of Defence of Thailand, Royal Thai Armed Forces, Siam Cement Group (SCG) Public Company, and Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc., represented by Thai Ambassador to the Philippines Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng.
The two negative pressure isolation rooms would aid in preventing the spread of contagious diseases, allowing healthcare staff to perform critical medical procedures without the need to transfer the patient/s or equipment within the hospital.
“Specially dedicated to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, this equipment will enable life-saving services to Filipino veterans who will need care during this Covid-19 pandemic, being the most vulnerable to the virus,” Lorenzana said, as he thanked the Royal Thai government for the donation to the Filipino people.
Meanwhile, Ruangprateepsaeng shared that the Thai community in the Philippines continues to cooperate and provide support to the Philippines’ Covid-19 containment efforts.
“With the number of infections having reached 32 million people worldwide, it is now more important than ever that we stand together to ensure the safety of our people,” he added.
Also, Ruangprateepsaeng reaffirmed the Kingdom of Thailand’s commitment to working closely with the Republic of the Philippines to build further upon the cooperation between the two countries and to tackle the challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Lorenzana highlighted the strong Filipino-Thai relations through the years and the importance of regional cooperation in overcoming the present health crisis.
“Early this week, President Duterte called for global alliance to combat this pandemic. Today’s turnover shows strong ASEAN regional effort in our ardent and collective desire to lessen the adverse effect of the virus to our people. May our countries sustain this enthusiasm and cooperation, as we transition to the new normal,” he added. (PNA)
