China is very responsive when you need help – Dr Austin Demby
Sierra Leone-Freetown: Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr Austin Demby has said that China is a very responsive country when you need help as he received the latest donation of vaccines from the Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang at his ministry’s conference room, Youyi Building.
He said during the Ebola China sent a plane load with materials and as if it was not enough, they sent in hundreds of personnel and built a permanent lab and hospital at Jui to help Sierra Leone in the fight.
“A friend that is always there when Sierra Leone needed them and they have never failed to support the country not only in the health sector but across all fields, which makes them a strong brother and friend to us.”
Dr Demby said during the Ebola outbreak they fought side by side with Sierra Leoneans and they did the same thing for the corona virus as the first treatment centre was the one they set up at 34 military hospital.
“When we were finding ways how to combat this virus, China appeared and supported us with 400,000 vials of vaccine, they did not only send the vaccines but they accompanied them with all other materials needed to administer the vaccine. This time round they have given us 200,000 again with other materials and we are again calling on all Sierra Leoneans that are yet to take the vaccine to turn up and take their jabs because the vaccines are safe and efficacious to every human being.”
Talking about the origin, Dr Demby said the world need global solidarity and science should prevail over politics as the origin must be found so as to combat it once and for all. He said the joint report between WHO and China has been very effective and the world should make sure that the report is effectively worked with to get the answers needed.
He said Sierra Leone is making sure that the third wave that caught them off balance does not repeat as the fourth wave is coming. He said both countries are now working to make sure that they build the West Africa tropical disease center here in Sierra Leone which would give us the advantage to combat all tropical disease that will appear in the country.
He thanked China and hoped that the friendship will continue and they will not stop their support to us because of the true and genuine relationship between the two countries.
Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang said he is at MOHS to hand over another batch of Covid-19 vaccine and testing kits donated by the Chinese government to Sierra Leone. This round of donation he said includes 200,000 vials of Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Sino-pharm, 201,600 pieces of syringes, 40,000 Novel Corona virus (2019-nCoV) Nucleic Acid Diagnostic Kits (PCR-Fluorescence Probing) and 50,000 Novel Corona virus (2019-nCoV) Antigen Detection Kits (Latex Method).
“This donation is meant for further supporting Sierra Leone’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and it is one of China’s concrete actions in implementing relevant commitments made by President Xi Jinping at the Virtual Opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly and the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against Covid-19.
