The SARS donation from the Chinese central government was presented to the Macao Special Administrative Region during a ceremony held Tuesday in Zhuhai city in south China's Guangdong Province.
On behalf of the central government, Liao Hui, director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, presented the donation to Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the chief executive of Macao Special Administrative Region.
The donation includes 300 infrared thermometers, 60,000 protective suits, 10,000 pairs of foot covers, 200,000 surgical masks, 50,000 sets of disposable bed sheets, 5,000 pairs of goggles and a variety of SARS-related medicines.
Liao said at the ceremony that since the first SARS outbreak in the area around Macao, national leaders including Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin and Wen Jiabao have shown great concern over the epidemic situation in Macao. The free medical aid to Macao, which was prepared according to the requirements of Edmund Ho Hau Wah, symbolizes the central government's deep concern for the health of the Macao people as well as the full-fledged support of the central government for the SARS fight in Macao.
Edmund Ho Hau Wah, on behalf of the Macao SAR government and all of the Macao people, conveyed his profound appreciation of and deep respect to the central government and the mainland people, noting that, in the face of the SARS challenge, the Macao SAR government and the Macao people will stand united to vigorously carry out SARS prevention and treatment work and to continue to implement appropriate measures in an attempt to achieve a full-scale economic recovery and sustainable social development.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2003)