Taiwan funds the COVID-19 support helpline in Saint Lucia

On 15 April 2020, Ambassador Douglas C. T. Shen of Taiwan made a donation to the Synergy Project to fund the establishment of a support helpline for Saint Lucians placed under COVID-19 quarantine. Hon. Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, Minister for External Affairs, accepted the donation on behalf of the Synergy Project and thanked the people and Government of Taiwan for the generous donation, which will help this initiative up and running. She said that the Government of Saint Lucia is particularly concerned about the mental health of individuals in quarantine and the support helpline will help the vulnerable, particularly those with chronic illness, deal with the ill effects of isolation and
loneliness during this difficult time.

Ambassador Shen emphasized that when it comes to combating global pandemic, Taiwan can help and Taiwan is helping. He listed a series of assistance rendered by Taiwan to help Saint Lucia better manage the global health crisis, including a donation by his Embassy to the Ministry of Health for the procurement of necessary medical supplies for frontline medical staff, the arrangement of a video conference between Victoria Hospital and Taiwan’s Chi-Mei Medical Centre to share best practice in
treatment and management of COVID-19, not to mention the donation of 40,000 face masks, 6 sets of thermal imaging body temperature detection systems and many forehead thermometers by the Government of Taiwan.

“We believe that a friend in need is a friend indeed,” he said. Ambassador Shen also called for the World Health Organization (WHO) to honour its words of “leaving no one behind” and include Taiwan in its relevant meetings and mechanisms. “Participation by Taiwan can help the WHO better contain and manage global infectious and non-communicable diseases,” he said.