An Open Letter from Clement Yang, Medtecs Group Chairman, to San Francisco PPE Donation Ceremony

Dear Mayor Breed,

Dear friends and guests,

My name is Clement Yang, Chairman of Medtecs Group. It is my great pleasure to be included in the donation ceremony on behalf of Medtecs Group as we mark the partnership between the City of Taipei and City of San Francisco to provide life-saving equipment to healthcare heroes. I thank you for the warm welcome.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed people’s lives across the globe, wreaking havoc on everyone’s mental and physical health. Many of us have been coping with stress, depression, fear and anxiety as a result of the crisis. The pandemic has also created unprecedented pressure on the global supply chain and healthcare systems, creating yawning gaps in inventory of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies. The scarcity of PPE has forced many front-line medical professionals to improvise with less effective alternatives which put their health and safety at risk.

Medtecs Group has been a leading supplier of PPE, medical textiles and integrated hospital services for large healthcare providers for over 30 years. We are committed to providing high-quality protective gear for healthcare workers and first responders so that they are well equipped in their fight to contain spread of such viruses as SARS, H1N1 and Ebola. In fact, during these viral outbreaks, Medtecs had been an active player in supplying much-needed PPE around the world.

This time we have stepped up efforts to help fight the corona virus. We have donated PPE and vital medical supplies wherever we operate, including Taiwan, the Philippines and Cambodia. As our ongoing commitment to support communities during the pandemic, we have also reached out to help Germany, Italy and Japan where there were unmet PPE needs. We hope that through these donations we have helped keep healthcare professionals safe at the end of a difficult work day, which is exactly what our Group’s mission envisions: “Providing world-class medical products, services and protective wear to ensure that every worker returns home safe.”

I wish to express heartfelt thanks to Dr. Tsu Da Lin and Ms. Yang Xiaoqing for their concerted effort in facilitating the PPE donation by Medtecs Group to the people of San Francisco. I was put in touch with the San Francisco – Taipei Sister City Committee and, what a pleasure it is to be a part of this great effort. Medtecs’ isolation gowns, coveralls, and shoe covers will offer protection and comfort to healthcare workers who will be better prepared to treat patients.

Crises are part of life and in times like this we must look beyond national borders and come together to show solidary and compassion towards one another. Medtecs is headquartered in Taipei, a sister city of San Francisco since February 1970. As the Chinese saying goes “All men are brothers within the Four Seas”. We feel proud of the strong, lasting friendship between our two cities. And we feel love and compassion towards the people of San Francisco just like we care for the people of Taipei.