To assist Gambia fight the Covid-19 disease, the Chinese government has donated 10,032 test kits, 10,000 protective face masks for medical use, 100,000 surgical face masks, 5,000 disposable protective clothing, 3,000 disposable medical goggles, 3,000 disposable surgical gloves and 3,000 disposable shoe covers to the government of Gambia.
The Chinese Ambassador to the Gambia, Ma Jianchun, said in a statement, made available on Friday, that the gesture demonstrated China’s sincere care for The Gambia and the cordial friendship between the two countries.
He recalled that The Gambia and African countries have been supportive to China during its trying times, noting that China therefore deems it necessary to extend its hands of fellowship to African countries since the start of the pandemic.
Ambassador Ma said it is crucial for collaborations in the fight against COVID-19 since the virus has no respect for borders and ethnicity.
Receiving the equipment, the Gambian minister of foreign affairs, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, said that the donation which was the second of its kind from China demonstrated that China and The Gambia are not only friends but partners.
“China has yet again shown that it is indeed committed to building a community with shared future for mankind and as always, is acting as a responsible country in joining hands with the rest of the world to curb the spread of the virus and eventually defeat COVID -19,” he added.
Tangara noted that the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has taken personal command of the pandemic and continues to oversee the general situation by leading the way forward in the fight against the deadly pandemic.
He observed that China continues to show empathy with countries all over the world but more so with African countries by providing humanitarian support for the second time in two months to all 53 African countries with the donation of the much–needed protective personal equipment and other medical supplies for the protection of medical personnel and people.
For his part, the Gambian minister of health, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, thanked the Chinese government through the Chinese Embassy in Banjul and the ministry of foreign affairs for efforts made in ensuring that the equipment arrived in the country.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that the pandemic is far from ending anytime soon, adding that it is pertinent for countries to work together for the common interest of their people.
