The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan is soaring, and the Delta variant of the virus imported from abroad has emerged recently. The cumulative number of confirmed cases in Taiwan has reached 14,000. Soon there may not be enough negative pressure isolation chambers. In the spirit of “others are about business, Eastern is about public welfare,” Chairman Gary Wang of Eckare decided to donate six “emergency pandemic prevention satellite wards” to the Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch, and four “modular negative pressure isolation rooms” to the Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch, together amounting to almost NT$4 million. In recognition of Eastern’s long-standing commitment to public welfare and care for the disadvantaged, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je visited the Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch and thank Eckare for the donation. Mayor Ko was accompanied by Superintendent Huang Sheng-Jean and Vice Superintendent Hsu Chia-Chen of the Taipei City Hospital, and Director Tsai Ching-Yao of the Zhongxing Branch.
In an interview, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je expressed his gratitude to Chairman Gary Wang for his thoughtful compassion for the hard work of frontline medical personnel. At the beginning of the pandemic, Gary Wang not only took the lead and donated NT$10 million to Taipei City and New Taipei City for their pandemic prevention efforts, as well as protective gear to the Tri-Service General Hospital, but even extended his care to the senior citizens by donating air coolers and tents so that the elderly waiting to be vaccinated would not have to wait in the sun. The generous donation of “emergency pandemic prevention satellite wards” and “modular negative pressure isolation rooms” to the Zhongxiao and Zhongxing branches of the Taipei City Hospital is a considerable help to the entire pandemic prevention system in Taipei City. We cannot only rely on the government to prevent the pandemic; we also need the cooperation of the public and private sector.
On behalf of the Taipei City Government, Mayor Ko also thanked Eckare for its kindness in caring for the disadvantaged groups in need of help, and for being a pioneering role model enterprise in Taiwan’s pandemic prevention efforts.
Superintendent Huang Sheng-Jean of the Taipei City Hospital said that the “emergency pandemic prevention satellite wards” and “modular negative pressure isolation rooms” can be set up quickly and adapted to different spatial environments. They can also effectively receive and be used to treat patients. These treatment wards have already been successfully set up at the Taoyuan General Hospital Sinwu Branch, Taoyuan Armed Force General Hospital, and Taipei Veterans General Hospital Taoyuan Branch. They will be soon followed by the Zhongxiao and Zhongxing branches of the Taipei City Hospital, so that more patients can be admitted and treated. Especially during the pandemic prevention period, if a patient is waiting for a bed to open up in the emergency ward before being admitted to the hospital, the “emergency pandemic prevention satellite ward” can be of great help, which is a huge improvement compared to waiting under the glaring sun in the temporary tents that were set up at the beginning of the pandemic. Huang Sheng-Jean stated that these satellite wards are a huge upgrade in terms of safety and comfort, adding more protection to the pandemic prevention efforts and taking care of the wellbeing of patients and medical personnel. He is very grateful to Mayor Ko for his crucial coordination efforts and Chairman Wang for his kind contributions. The heartwarming donation from Eckare is not only a timely gift amidst the hardship of the pandemic, but also a boost to our medical personnel’s morale. On our island nation, our fates are all tied together. This means that we must work together to fight the pandemic.
Director Tsai Ching-Yao of the Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch pointed out that the medical capacity at the beginning of the pandemic was actually insufficient. In the case of the Zhongxing Branch, 200 confirmed cases have been admitted and 42 patients are still in the ward over the two months after the outbreak. While the vast majority of patients are well cared for, the pressure on the healthcare workers remains high, and many acute disease patients are being turned away. The “emergency pandemic prevention satellite wards” provide a quality space for emergency patients and their families to receive medical treatment, and has a well-designed people flow to ensure proper pandemic prevention.
As for the next stage of pandemic prevention work, Tsai Ching-Yao believes that we should move towards providing better medical care based on “altruism,” so that everything we do can help others. He is very grateful to Eastern Group and the Department of Health, Taipei City Government, for their donations to the Zhongxing Branch of the Taipei City Hospital. All of the personnel at the Zhongxing Branch will continue to guard their posts and safeguard Taipei together.
Gary Wang also paid tribute to the frontline medical staff and thanked them for their hard work. He said, “I felt very sad seeing the exhausted healthcare personnel working in the negative pressure wards. After hearing Mayor Ko’s request for medical ward supplies, Eastern also wanted to do its part. Therefore, this time Eckare donated ‘emergency pandemic prevention satellite wards’ and ‘modular negative pressure isolation rooms.’ If medical personnel have more requests in the future, we will be happy to expand the scale of our contributions and continue to support them. We will work together with Mayor Ko to assist our healthcare personnel, so that they can focus on taking care of patients on the frontline with no extra worries.” Gary Wang mentioned that during the pandemic, all industries are having a hard time, but Eckare managed to achieve good results, so the company wants to give back to society. We cannot only rely on the government to prevent the pandemic, support from the publics is also very important. Whether it’s donating NT$10 million to Taipei City and New Taipei City for their pandemic prevention efforts, donating various medical equipment, or promoting PCR screening for all employees of the Group, we are especially grateful for the amazing assistance from the Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung branches of the Veterans General Hospital. Eastern is committed to fulfilling our corporate social responsibility. In particular, since the establishment of the Eastern Charity Foundation 21 years ago, we have been passionate about philanthropy, and whichever corner of society is in need, that’s where we will deliver our care.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak this year, Eastern Group has been the first to respond to the government’s call and to take part in public welfare. Since the establishment of Eckare, a subsidiary of Eastern Group, the company has been actively collaborating with the Eastern Charity Foundation to send love and care to every corner of society. From January to June this year, in view of the worsening pandemic situation and the urgent need for assistance for frontline medical workers, police, and firefighters, as well as the disadvantaged families in Taiwan, Eckare donated a total of NT$25 million to assist healthcare personnel and disadvantaged groups in the spirit of helping our nation. Eckare also donated 1,000 sets of protective clothing to the Tri-Service General Hospital on June 7. In May, the Group also took the lead in donating NT$10 million to the Taipei City and New Taipei City governments. The Group also donated Dragon Boat Festival holiday dishes to 38 public welfare organizations, including the Sanxia Veterans Home this May, and donated down jackets before the Lunar New Year this year. Eckare has been actively involved in public welfare activities throughout the years and continues to lead its team of distributors to send love to every corner of Taiwan. We hope to protect Taiwan and to help the disadvantaged with the power of continuous good deeds. We stand together with the people of Taiwan. We will continue to encourage the people of this great nation to fight against the pandemic.