Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to Taiwan Jasmine Huggins yesterday sent 138 bags of handmade snacks to Taipei Veterans General Hospital personnel, thanking them for assisting the Caribbean nation in guarding public health and to mark 38 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The connection between the hospital and Saint Kitts and Nevis, one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies, stems from a collaborative project on the treatment of chronic kidney diseases, which was supported by the International Cooperation and Development Fund.
Hospital superintendent Wayne Sheu (許惠恒) said that the two sides are seeking to deepen their cooperation through a follow-up project on the prevention and control of metabolic disorders, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
Photo: CNA
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital designed online courses for Saint Kitts and Nevis medical personnel, he added.
“It is better to give than to receive,” Huggins said, as she presented the snacks and masks featuring the country’s national emblem to management personnel at the hospital in Taipei’s Tianmu (天母) area.
Calling the workers “unsung heroes and heroines at the hospital,” Huggins said that she hoped the gifts would bring a smile to their faces.
Taiwan was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis after it became independent on Sept. 19, 1983, she said.
“Educational opportunities in Taiwan continue to beckon our young people, many of whom have returned to the Federation [of Saint Kitts and Nevis] with advanced training and skill sets,” she said.
Two Saint Kitts and Nevis nationals, Jamella Fraser and Davina Cranstoun, helped make the snacks at an ABV Bar & Kitchen branch.
To mark Saint Kitts and Nevis’ national day, which was on Sunday last week, its embassy is hosting a series of activities, including at Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei today where the ambassador is to throw the first pitch at a Wei Chuan Dragons baseball game.
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