SHANGHAI: When it comes to fighting COVID-19 in China, what Ashish Maskay is proud of is his participation in voluntary blood donation for his “second hometown” Shanghai.
Maskay, a Nepalese orthopedic surgeon at a foreign-funded hospital in Shanghai, founded a foreigners’ group called “Bloodline” three years ago. They have organized 14 blood donation activities, including two during the anti-virus fight.
“There was a greater demand for blood during the epidemic,” Maskay said. “We consider Shanghai our second home, and we’re honored to give back to the city.”
La Thor, 22, a Lao national studying in the Shanghai Institute of Technology, has gone through a unique semester together with his 13 Lao schoolmates. They are the first batch of Lao students studying abroad under the education cooperation of the China-Laos railway project.
In the first half of this year, although the epidemic affected offline classes and hindered their face-to-face communication with the teachers, Thor found online learning a brand-new experience.
The care given by the locals moved him. “Our parents felt relieved when they learned that local residents in Shanghai provided us medical supplies such as masks. Shanghai has done a great job in epidemic control, and we are all very safe here.”
In addition, Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, one of the project partners, recently organized two sightseeing activities for the Lao students to alleviate their homesickness. – Agencies
