GX Foundation provides medical supplies to Laos for Covid-19 response

VIENTIANE, June 6 (Vientiane Times/ANN): The GX Foundation has provided medical supplies worth more than US$1 million to support Laos’ response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The supplies included personal protective equipment for medical staff including gloves, glasses, face shields and masks.

The supplies were presented to Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Professor Dr Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, by the President of the GX Foundation, Liang Zhenying.

Dr Kikeo said the donated items were greatly appreciated and essential to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and would protect healthcare staff during the course of their work.

The donation reflects the cooperation between Laos and China under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The GX Foundation has previously supported Laos’ efforts to contain the virus outbreak.

Liang met with Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, who thanked the foundation as well as the Chinese people for providing the supplies.

Members of the GX Foundation have visited Vientiane and held a meeting on virus prevention and control for Chinese nationals living in Laos. They also visited government officials and ministry leaders to discuss cooperation in virus prevention and control.

Established in 2018, the GX Foundation is a non-profit charitable organisation that provides medical and public health humanitarian assistance in the Belt and Road countries.

The name GX is derived from the Chinese word pronounced “gong xiang” meaning “sharing”. It is a response to the call for “people to people” connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative for International Cooperation.

In September 2019, China and Laos signed a plan to build a community with a shared future by the People’s Republic of China and the people of Laos. As part of the plan, the GX Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health on a 5-year cooperation project to provide free cataract surgeries for underprivileged people. Two mobile eye treatment centres have been created and will be put into use when the Covid-19 outbreak has been contained.

Liang noted that only a few cases of the virus had been recorded in Laos but, with the surge in new cases worldwide, the situation in Laos was changing.

Although the donation of equipment was not the primary mission of the GX Foundation, out of consideration for the friendship between China and Laos, the foundation had decided to lend a helping hand when a request was received from the Ministry of Health, he said.

The foundation sourced ventilators, patient monitors, surgical masks, gowns, goggles and gloves weighing 20 tonnes which have been donated to the ministry.

“This year is the 60th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations, so the GX Foundation wanted to show support for the people of Laos, ” Mr Liang said.

“We hope the situation can soon be contained so that we can resume our cataract project and serve out our mission, as well as consolidate the friendship between the people of our two countries.” - Vientiane Times/ANN