‘Experts will enhance Covid-19 strategy’

Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe’s engagement with the visiting team of 12 Chinese medical experts to share knowledge and experiences in the fight against Covid-19 will enhance the country’s national strategy in consolidating the health sector, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.

VP Mohadi, who chairs the ad hoc Inter-Ministerial National Taskforce on Covid-19 Response said the visit was timely and Zimbabwe was excited by the decision by Beijing to assist Harare.

“The planned engagement with our health personnel and frontline health teams, the training and several workshops lined up in this programme as well as the many visits to our health institutions around Harare and nearby provinces and districts will effectively augment the national strategy in terms of consolidating our health infrastructure, adapting best practices, coordinating our response and boosting the morale of our heroic frontline staff,” said VP Mohadi.

“The Government and people of Zimbabwe are filled with joy and are immeasurably inspired by your timely visit and by your magnanimity to assist us and to share experiences in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic,” said VP Mohadi.

“Zimbabwe and China enjoy excellent, long standing relations and this visit, in which you bring the much needed medical supplies, expertise and knowledge of how best to fight this unprecedented pandemic, attests to these strong bonds of resilient friendship and cooperation.”

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Guo Shaochun commended the efforts Zimbabwe was taking to contain the pandemic.

“The Chinese team will officially start its mission today. Today’s meeting is very important because Vice President Mohadi heads an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce, which is the deciding body for Covid-19 issues. We appreciate all the action taken by the Zimbabwean Government on the pandemic,” said Ambassador Guo.

“I would like to reiterate that we feel for the challenges faced by the Zimbabwean Government and its people, we want to scale up our efforts in containing the Covid-19.”

He hailed the bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and China saying nationals from the Asian country would not be evacuated because of the solid union between the two countries.

“I would like to stress to VP Mohadi that there is no plan for China to take its citizens out of this country.

“The embassy here has no plan to take its diplomats. We will stand firmly forever with the people of Zimbabwe. We are confident about the capacity of the Zimbabwean Government and we need to stand even firmly together in these trying times,” said Ambassador Guo.

The Chinese team of medical experts is the first to be sent to a Southern African country by China, not because the situation in Harare is dire, but because of close bilateral relations between the two countries.

The team met President Mnangagwa at State House on Tuesday, where Zimbabwe’s commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation with Beijing was restated.

The team arrived on Monday with a large consignment of test kits and protective equipment required in the fight against the pandemic.