Taiwan donates 1 million face masks to protect Indian medical personnel

The masks, brought to India by a special flight on May 4, were handed over by ambassador Chung-Kwang Tien of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi to Neel Kamal Singh, deputy secretary general of the Indian Red Cross Society, at a ceremony on Friday.

Taiwan on Friday donated one million face masks to India to help protect frontline medical personnel engaged in the fight against Covid-19, reflecting the medical cooperation between the two sides.

Taiwan government launched its first large-scale humanitarian assistance initiative in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in April

The masks, brought to India by a special flight on May 4, were handed over by ambassador Chung-Kwang Tien of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi to Neel Kamal Singh, deputy secretary general of the Indian Red Cross Society, at a ceremony on Friday.

Tien said the Coronavirus respects no national borders or races, and assistance should not be limited by nations.

“Taiwan has shown to the world that due to pre-emptive preparations, the right policy implemented by the government, the trust established by the people towards the government and the lesson learned after the 2003 SARS [outbreak], Taiwan has been recognised and praised greatly by international communities and countries…in terms of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Taiwan would like to share its experiences and PPE materials such as masks with all countries in need, he added.

Taiwan government launched its first large-scale humanitarian assistance initiative in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in April and has so far donated 25.5 million face masks and other medical supplies to the US, European Union states, and 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific.

Tien also complimented the Indian government’s efforts to curtail the spread of Covid-19. Highlighting India as an “important and valued partner of Taiwan”, Tien expressed confidence that the country will prevail over challenges and restore economic growth.