The Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) received two Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms from the Kingdom of Thailand today, 25 September 2020, at the VMMC in Quezon City that can help augment the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana, together with VMMC Medical Director Dominador M. Chiong, Jr., M.D., 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 His Excellency Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng, Royal Thai Ambassador to the Philippines.
The donated isolation rooms will aid in preventing the spread of contagious diseases, allowing health care 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 willenable life-saving services to Filipino veterans who will need care during this COVID-19 pandemic, being the most vulnerable to the virus,” Secretary Lorenzana remarked, thanking the Royal Thai government for the donation to the Filipino people.
Ambassador Ruangprateepsaeng shared that the Thai community in the Philippines continues to cooperate and provide support to the Philippines’ COVID-19 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,” Ambassador Ruangprateepsaeng said.
“On behalf of the Royal Thai government, I would like to reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to working closely with the Republic of the Philippines to build further upon the cooperation between us and to tackle the challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Ambassador added.
For his part, Secretary 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,” Lorenza stressed.
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,” Secretary Lorenzana concluded.
IN PHOTO: Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana and His Excellency Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng, Royal Thai Ambassador to the Philippines, sign the Deed of Donation and Acceptance for the turnover of two Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center during a ceremony on 25 September 2020, in Quezon City.