 The St. Lucia Cooperative Credit Union League recently handed over four high-flow nasal cannular machines to the Ministry of Health and one to the St. Jude's Hospital in support of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other respiratory challenges at the hospitals. The high-flow nasal cannular machines are expected to provide respiratory support to patients who require oxygen therapy. The Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, the Honourable Mouzi Jovatis, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the St. Lucia Cooperative Credit Union League for the timely donation and says these machines are very critical in saving the lives of patients. I am sure your members, those who are not here, will understand and feel that this is a really timely and important contribution to the health care of St. Lucia, to the fight not only with the COVID-19 virus but also as I understand from the doctors, other ailments whether it be COPD and other ailments. President of the St. Lucia Cooperative Credit Union League, Gilroy Satney says his organisation remains committed to providing assistance towards the health and well-being of the nation. Today's donation by the local credit union sector is a continuation of the ideals and beliefs of the Cooperative Pioneers to bring about human and social development. Our decision to donate four machines to the health care facilities in castries and one to the St. Jude Hospital is taken with full regard for the interests of the brother community within which the credit union movement and its members reside. Medical Director of the Respiratory Hospital, Dr. Lucia Eugene Ford, expressed her appreciation to the St. Lucia Cooperative Credit Union League for the kind gesture and much needed assistance during this time. This contribution or donation is timely and is appropriate. Some of our COVID-19 patients, they develop what you call acute respiratory distress syndrome which affects the oxygen uptake into the lungs and as a result what has happened is that the decreased amount of oxygen that goes to the lungs, you have a situation where we have organ failure, multiple organ failure and it can actually lead to death. So low levels of oxygen in the tissues can result in failure and of course death as I mentioned and having this machine which allow them to improve the delivery of oxygen to the organs and we have better clinical outcomes. The five high-flow nasal cannular machines donated by the St. Lucia Cooperative Credit Union League cost over EC $58,000. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, I am Fynnell Neptune.