Ambassador Mai Phuoc Dung (R) receives support from the Tamasek Foundation. (Photo: VNA)
The presenting ceremony of Tamasek Foundation's medical equipment shipment took place at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore with the attendance of Mr. Benedict Cheong, Executive Director of Temasek Foundation, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung. The support shipment includes 16 ventilators of all kinds, 250,000 high-class medical masks (FFP2 and KN95), 200,000 face shields, 100,000 protective suits, 5,000 protective glasses and 4,500 sets of gloves.
Speaking at the reception ceremony, Ambassador Mai Phuoc Dung, on behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, thanked the Temasek Foundation and the Singapore Government for the special and valuable support, especially in the context of Singapore seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases. This practical and meaningful action is the affection of the Government and people of Singapore towards Vietnam, demonstrating the close strategic partnership between the two countries, which will make an important contribution to the Government and people of Vietnam overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ambassador Mai Phuoc Dung said that the Embassy and domestic agencies are working hard so that this aid shipment is delivered to the medical force in the fastest time, meeting the urgent needs in Vietnam. Ambassador Mai Phuoc Dung also suggested that the Temasek Foundation and the Singapore Government continue to support Vietnam's fight against the pandemic in the near future, especially looking for the possibility of helping or exchanging COVID-19 vaccines with Vietnam in the appropriate form.
On behalf of the Tamasek Foundation, Executive Director Benedict Cheong said that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on all ASEAN countries. As Southeast Asia is now closely connected, each country hit by COVID-19 will affect the overall cooperation of the whole region. “Therefore, Singapore is ready to share it with Vietnam and ASEAN countries to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic together soon,” he said.
Established in 2007, the Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-based non-Governmental organization, which currently has many cooperation and assistance programs for Vietnam in areas such as human resource training, public health and education. In early 2020, the Temasek Foundation also sponsored 10 ventilators for Vietnam./.