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CNMI donates $154K worth of PPEs to Guam
Guam Memorial Hospital COVID-19 medical director Dr. Joleen Aguon, center, and GMH hospital staff receive a donation of personal protective equipment from the CNMI Office of the Governor on Wednesday. The donation follows Aguon’s visit to the CNMI to provide her expertise on treatment of COVID-19 patients. Aguon is one of the few pulmonologists and intensivists in the region. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
HAGÅTÑA, Guam—The CNMI Office of the Governor donated last Wednesday surplus personal protective equipment to the Guam Memorial Hospital that illustrates the collaboration between the CNMI and Guam to combat COVID-19.
The donation included 1,000 surgical masks, over 14,000 face masks, and 9,000 isolation gowns to be used by front-liners at GMH, Guam’s COVID-designated hospital. The PPEs are valued at over $154,000.
The donation follows the philanthropic work of Dr. Joleen Aguon, GMH medical director and Guam’s COVID-19 medical director. Following an invitation and request from CNMI Gov. Ralph DLG Torres in June, Aguon visited the newly constructed Alternate Care Site on Saipan. Being one of the few pulmonologists and intensivists in the region, Aguon provided valuable expertise on treatment of COVID-19 patients.
“We thank CNMI Gov. Torres and the [CNMI] for this generous donation of PPEs. Our islands face similar challenges in the ongoing pandemic, including the tyranny of distance and limited resources, most especially human resources,” said Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. “Dr. Aguon has been at the forefront of our island’s response, and she is one of many COVID heroes to be celebrated.”
“This exchange is a true reflection of our cultural values—that what we have, we have to share,” said Guam Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio. “Our administration will continue to coordinate with Gov. Torres, as well as [Guam Legislature] Speaker Tina Muña Barnes who helped initiate this donation. We all have the same mission—to keep our people healthy and safe from this deadly virus.”
“There are not enough words to express my gratitude to CNMI Gov. Torres and the [CNMI] for this donation of PPE. This is our armor in the fight against this invisible enemy, and the protection we need to not only do our best work to save lives, but also to keep the families we come home to safe,” said Aguon. (PR)
