$78m healthcare boost from South Korea
Published:Friday | March 25, 2022 | 12:08 AM
The Government of the Republic of Korea has donated 250 pieces of medical equipment valued at US$500,000 (J$77.5 million) to Jamaica’s health sector.
Among the items donated are 50 electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, 50 defibrillators, 100 physiological monitors, and 50 cardiac monitors.
Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Jamaica, Lim Beajin, said the gift arrived in Jamaica at an opportune time as both countries celebrate their diamond jubilee of diplomatic relations.
“The equipment being donated today will go a long way in helping to strengthen healthcare delivery to members of the general public and will continue to assist in the fight against COVID-19,” Beajin said.
Senior medical officer at Bustamante Hospital for Children, Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson, expressed gratitude for the equipment received.
“The items were so well appreciated that on immediate receipt of our items, we put them right into use,” she said.
In her remarks, Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said that the COVID-19 pandemic has reaffirmed Jamaica’s inter-connectedness and inter-dependence on development partners.
She highlighted a number of the contributions Korea has made to Jamaica since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that the handover of equipment is another manifestation of the bilateral relationship.
“We have had very steady and consistent support from our Korean friends. It is reflective of the strong bonds that have characterised our engagement since the establishment of diplomatic relations,” Johnson Smith said.