St. Kitts and Nevis ambassador thanks Taiwan medical workers with handmade snacks

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) St. Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Jasmine Elise Huggins on Thursday presented over 100 pieces of traditional pastry made by embassy staff and students from her country to Taipei Veterans General Hospital, to thank front-line medical workers for their efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

The desserts were received by hospital superintendent Sheu Huey-herng (許惠恒).

"It is better to give than to receive," said Huggins, the dean of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.

The ambassador said the people of St. Kitts and Nevis feel great joy and satisfaction at having an opportunity to give back by donating these special desserts and snacks to front-line workers at the hospital.

The first country to establish diplomatic relations with a newly independent St. Christopher and Nevis on Sept. 19, 1983, Taiwan has been an outstanding friend and partner in so many fields of endeavor, Huggins noted.

The government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) have shared much with the government and people of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis over the 38 years of its existence as an independent nation, Huggins said.

According to Huggins, the Taipei hospital has made substantial contributions to her country. The training received by some doctors and nurses from St. Kitts and Nevis at the hospital has been lifesaving for citizens at home, as they have been pressed into service in new and different ways since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

Aware of the stress, strain and sacrifices of front-line workers, and medical staff, the St. Kitts and Nevis Embassy in Taiwan thought it only fitting that while the country celebrates 38 years of independence, "we also acknowledge and celebrate today the unsung heroes and heroines at hospitals who have done their utmost to keep us all safe and healthy," Huggins said.

The relationship between the hospital and St. Kitts and Nevis can be traced back five years when they undertook a joint capacity building project for the prevention and control of chronic kidney disease, Sheu said.

As part of that project, which ended in 2020, the hospital helped the Caribbean country establish a database of chronic disease cases which can now be accessed by clinics across the country.

A recent academic report noted that professionals in the country have so far collected data on 3,739 chronic disease cases, according to Sheu.