On behalf of the Thai Red Cross Society, Ms. Acharapan Yavaprapas, Chargé d'affaires, together with H.E. Mr. Ekapol Poolpipat, Ambassador-Designate of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste handed over the donation of the medical equipments from the Thai Red Cross Society to National Blood Bank of Timor-Leste. These equipments were received by H.E. Mrs. Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral, Acting Minister of Heath and Vice Minister of Primary Health Care, Dr. Aniceto Cardoso Barreto, Executive Director of National Hospital Guido Valadares and Dr. Mendes Pinto, Director of Diagnostic Therapeutic National Blood Bank of the Guido Valadares National Hospital at National Blood Bank of the Guido Valadares National Hospital in Dili.

The donation of the medical equipments aims at supporting the operation of the National Blood Bank of Timor-Leste with donation of blood transfusion equipments initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Executive Vice-President of the Thai Red Cross Society, following the visit of Her Royal Highness to the National Blood Bank on 13 June 2019. Her Royal Highness found that access to safe and sufficient blood supplies remained a challenge in Timor-Leste so that Her Royal Highness instructed the Thai Red Cross Society to assist the National Blood Bank of Timor-Leste.

The donation provided by Thai Red Cross Society to National Blood Bank of Timor-Leste is not only the goodwill from Her Royal Highness but also the strengthening of the Thailand and Timor-Leste relations on public health, especially on capacity building such as blood donation campaign.