Foreign Secretary Locsin welcomes Chinese medical team
MANILA – Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Michael Tan, Filipino Taipan Lucio Tan’s son met the Chinese medical team at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport past midday today.
Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian said it was upon the Philippine government’s request that the Chinese government sent its Anti-epidemic Medical Expert Team to help the government in its fight against COVID-19 epidemic.
“We are also donating today another batch of medical supplies to the Philippines, including 300,000 surgical masks, 30,000 medical N95 masks, 5,000 medical protective suits, 5,000 medical face shields and 30 non-invasive ventilators,” Ambassador Huang said in his remarks.
He added since early last month China has provided support and assistance to the Philippines to the best of its ability with testing kits, surgical masks, medical N95 masks and medical protective suits. Apart from the Chinese central government, Chinese local governments, organizations, companies and individuals have helped the Philippines.
Ambassador Huang said the Chinese Medical Expert Team is one of the first three teams sent by the Chinese government to ASEAN countries as most of the team members had front line experience in Hubei province.
“I hope the arrival of this team will help the Philippines (to) improve its ability of epidemic prevention and control as well as diagnosis and treatment, so as to boost the confidence of the public in overcoming the COVID-19,” he further added.
As virus respects no borders, he explained during this crisis, “the Chinese government and people feel keenly for the health and safety of the Filipino people.” He assured Secretary Locsin and Mr. Tan that they will stand together with the Philippine government and people to cope with the challenges and overcome the epidemic.
Meanwhile, Secretary Locsin said he brought (the idea of sending Chinese doctors) it up with Ambassador Huang when China first send the medical equipment to the Philippines.
“He said, we have no problems with translations because of the Chinese General Hospital and Metropolitan Hospital and we’re grateful,” Secretary Locsin said.
He explained the only ones who can tell the Filipinos how to handle the crisis are “those who fought it on the ground, and those are the people in China, the experts there.”
Secretary Locsin said the gesture from the Chinese government and people “is deeply appreciated, never be forgotten.”
“Now they’ve come to share with us how to fight it, how to contain it, and hopefully one day how to cure it,” he added.
As of today, the Department of Health has reported 152 additional cases of COVID-19 as the total number of persons positive of the virus reached 3,246.There have been seven additional recoveries for a total of 64 while eight new deaths have been reported. The death toll has reached 152 as of 4:00 P.M., Sunday.(Melo M. Acuña
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