CHINESE FRIENDS OF BETHUNE DONATE 50,000 MASKS TO HOSPITALS
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — Sino-Canadian government relations may be severely strained, but the Bethune spirit and ties remain strong.
A shipment of 50,000 medical masks has been donated to Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare by three organizations with medial ties to Dr. Norman Bethune, the town’s native son and one-time hero in China.
China Bethune Spirit Research Association, China Bethune Charity Foundation and China Bethune Medical School’s Beijing Alumni Association came together to provide the masks to the Town of Gravenhurst through the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto. The charitable action of the three organizations were coordinated by Professor Yan Li, the Director of Confucius Institute in Waterloo.
This as local hospitals this week announced that they now have sufficient PPE to tide them over until a possible second wave of the pandemic materialized possibly in the fall.
The donation comes following members of the various organizations meeting Mayor Paul Kelly at the Bethune House last Thanksgiving while shooting a 50th anniversary video commemorating Norman Bethune’s death and legacy, says a town release Thursday.
In a letter to the town, the heads of the three organizations say “The People from China and Canada are closely tied together because of Dr. Norman Bethune. We sincerely wish that the Canadian people and the people in the hometown of Dr. Norman Bethune will soon come out from the shadow of the pandemic and resume your beautiful life.”
Kelly was joined by Scott Davidson, manager of the Bethune House, Han Tao, Consul General of People’s Republic of China in Toronto, and Natalie Bubela, CAO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare on site at the Bethune House to accept the masks.
“We are very thankful for the donation of masks to our area and are certain that they will work toward making our frontline workers safer. We are proud of our connection to Dr. Bethune and reminded of the connection that his legacy provides between Gravenhurst and China” said Kelly.
According to MAHC, surgical masks were among the most used personal protective equipment in the hospitals.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitals have been using more than 1,000 masks each day.
As hospital services begin to ramp up to pre-COVID levels, mask usage will increase even more and is estimated to grow to 1,500 masks per day with a requirement that everyone wears a mask to limit spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“During the pandemic, global competition for supplies, most of which are manufactured in China, forced hospitals to explore non-traditional procurement avenues,” says MAHC CEO Natalie Bubela. “This incredible donation of masks from three key organizations with strong ties to Dr. Norman Bethune and his birthplace in Gravenhurst demonstrates how creativity, combined with camaraderie, care and coordination can make a huge difference for community hospitals. Our most sincere thanks for the efforts taken to support hospital care for our communities.”
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