The Chinese Embassy has donated medical equipment to Samoa to assist with efforts to address the COVID-19 global pandemic and other infectious diseases.

The Minister of Health, Faimalotoa Kika Stowers, received the donation on behalf of the Samoa Government on Monday.

The Ambassador of China to Samoa, Chao Xiaoliang, congratulated the Samoa Government on its effective response to the global pandemic as Samoa remains one of few countries in the world to remain COVID-19 free.

"The cooperation in the medical field between China and Samoa has a long history and has achieved fruitful results over the years," he said in a media release distributed by the Government’s Press Secretariat. 

"In the face of the unprecedented threat posed by the pandemic, China and Samoa have once again stood shoulder to shoulder."

The medical equipment donation also coincided with the Chinese government’s launching of  the China-Pacific Island Countries Anti-Epidemic Cooperation Fund to assist Pacific Island nations.

"Emergency assistance including N95 respirators, disposable surgical masks, fluid-resistant isolation gowns from the Chinese government was delivered," Mr Xiaoliang added. "The Embassy will continue to work closely with the Samoan side to overcome the challenges of shipping caused by flight suspension and expedite the delivery."

The Health Minister expressed her appreciation to China for the support, saying a lot of Samoans will benefit from the gesture.

"Many Samoans have benefited through the various avenues for capacity building through scholarships and training programs, as well as the deployment of technical expertise in various fields in health," she added. 

"With the assistance of the Chinese Government, we have received medical teams in various human resource gap areas, such as the team represented today."

Making reference to the donated equipment, she said it will boost the confidence of the workers, who will work knowing that they have stock in-country and is a reminder of growing ties between China and Samoa.