Unicamp's Hospital de Clínicas (HC) hosted a gratitude ceremony this Thursday morning (12) for the donation of hospital equipment and accessories such as electrocardiographs, portable ultrasounds, defibrillators, ECG and ultrasound carts, transducers and 20 multiparametric monitors, in addition to gloves, masks and aprons made of TNT and bilaminates made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the hospital. The total amount donated is R$2,2 million reais.
The donation was made within the project The establishment of a research and reference collaborative system for the diagnosis of fungal infections including drug-resistant ones both in Brazil and Japan (MIRE Project) in partnership with HC Unicamp. The ceremony took place in the hospital's amphitheater and also represented a thank you from Unicamp to the Japanese government.
The ceremony was presided over by the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles and by the general coordinator of the University, Maria Luiza Moretti, coordinator of the international cooperation project between Unicamp and Chiba University, in Japan. At the opening table of the event were the Japanese ambassador to Brazil, Akira Yamada and the JICA representative in Brazil, Masayuki Eguchi.
According to Masayuki Eguchi, JICA operates in several countries. With Unicamp, this partnership began in 1990, at Gastrocentro. Due to the pandemic, HC became a reference hospital for Covid-19 cases. Many of the professionals working on the MIRE project work within HC Unicamp and started working to care for patients with Covid-19.
“Our mission is human security. Upon Unicamp's request, we formalized the donation of this equipment, in the hope that it can assist in the treatment and defense of patients admitted to ICUs. We are grateful for the work carried out by Unicamp with seriousness, responsibility and commitment to improving the population's quality of life. Let’s make every effort to continue on this journey together”, said Eguchi.
The general coordinator of the University, Maria Luiza Moretti, highlighted the success of the collaboration between Unicamp and Chiba University, with the support of JICA and the government of Japan. Moretti highlighted that JICA's solidarity deeply touched those on the front line of the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, especially infectious disease specialists, who are called to act more strongly in moments that challenge public health. Unicamp's general coordinator also stressed that a lasting partnership like this must continue, so that the next generations of researchers, students and professionals from both nations can exchange personal and cultural experiences.
“When there is a desire to work together, side by side on laboratory benches or attending lectures, carrying out research or working to combat diseases, the language barrier becomes small”, revealed Moretti, who has been developing and maintaining partnerships with the Japanese government.
Japan's ambassador to Brazil, Akira Yamada, declared his respect for Brazil's health professionals who fight a daily fight against Covid-19. Yamada said that he hopes that donations made to Unicamp's HC will collaborate with the hospital's assistance activities.
“We intend to continue collaborating as much as possible with Brazil in the fight against Covid-19. May this donation serve to increase cooperative relations between Brazil and Japan and the ties between Brazilians and Japanese”, confided Yamada.
The rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, thanked JICA for the donation to HC and said that this collaboration is the longest and most lasting in the history of the University. The rector recognized that Unicamp's HC has been the front line in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and that this has reinforced Unicamp's image in society.
“We wish to establish lasting ties with other countries. I would also like to officially request that the strong ties established so far between Japan and the health sector extend to other areas of teaching, research and extension at Unicamp. This will certainly bring the Brazilian people and the Japanese people closer together”, reinforced Meirelles during his speech before handing over plaques to the Japanese ambassador and the JICA representative in Brazil.
"Facing the pandemic head on"
According to HC Unicamp's assistance coordinator, Plínio Trabasso, since last year, HC Unicamp's health and administration professionals have been working steadfastly to care for patients with Covid-19. According to Plínio, the donation of PPE and high-tech equipment are already being used to care for hospital patients.
“This donation positively impacted our professionals and patients. I cannot thank JICA and the Japanese government enough for this donation,” said Trabasso.
The superintendent of HC Unicamp, Antonio Gonçalves de Oliveira Filho, during his speech, used two symbols of Japanese culture to express the hospital's gratitude for the donation received: the Daruma – which represents hope and the realization of dreams with patience, perseverance and obstinacy and Bushido, also known as the Way of the Warrior – which represents justice, courage, compassion, politeness, sincerity, honor and loyalty.
“It is this hope that we are seeing with the new management that begins at the University. The HC community has faced this global pandemic with its head held high. For our Strategic Planning we are seeking the values of Bushido, so common in Japanese culture. That's what we want in HC's mission. Therefore, kansha – gratitude – to the Japanese people”, said Antonio Gonçalves.
Also participating in the ceremony at HC Unicamp were the secretary of the Japanese embassy, Yasunori Mori; the consul general of Japan in São Paulo, Ryosuke Kuwana; the head of the Department of General and Political Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in São Paulo, Hiroyuki Ide; the hospital's administrative coordinator, Rodrigo Bueno Oliveira, heads of areas at HC Unicamp, as well as other Unicamp authorities and guests, who followed health protocols to participate in the ceremony.
Visit to LEMDI and partnership between Unicamp and JICA
After the ceremony formalizing the delivery of JICA's donations to HC Unicamp, the Japanese delegation and authorities from Unicamp and HC visited the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases (LEMDI) at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) Unicamp. Coordinated by FCM professor and current general coordinator of Unicamp, Maria Luiza Moretti, LEMDI.
The laboratory was founded in 1993 and set up with resources from Fapesp. In 1996, Unicamp's first collaborative project began with Chiba University and Toyama University, with professors and postgraduate students going to Japan and vice versa. Then came a project with support from JICA for training in the area of infectious diseases and HIV for doctors from Portuguese-speaking African countries.
At the beginning of 2000, another project with Chiba University, in Japan, was signed, and in 2017, the laboratory was awarded the Science an Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATRESP). The agreement provided for an investment of R$5 million by JICA over five years to carry out fungal research, technological readjustment of LEMDI equipment and the coming and going of researchers from Unicamp to Chiba and Nagasaki, suspended since last year due to the pandemic. of covid-19.
The partnership between Unicamp and JICA has existed for more than three decades. The Agency's investments in the University total around 60 million reais. In 2019, the Epidemiological and Infectious Diseases Laboratory (Lemdi) of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) and installed within HC Unicamp was awarded a contribution of more than 5 million dollars to carry out clinical research projects in infectious diseases, in partnership with Chiba University.
Still in the same year, Unicamp was awarded the title of “JICA President Award 2019”. This was the first time in the history of the Japanese government body that a foreign university was awarded the honor. The Center for the Diagnosis of Digestive System Diseases (Gastrocentro) has also received contributions relevant to its operation throughout its history of cooperation.
original article published on the Unicamp HC website.
