Buddhist group donates ambulance to Maimonides

A new ambulance was donated to Maimonides Medical Center at a ceremony Aug. 11.

The  2020 Mercedes Demers high-top sprinter van was a gift from the American Buddhist Confederation, which will also provide grant funds for COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs throughout Brooklyn.

“This generous donation will improve our response and medical transfer capabilities and help our efforts to directly address COVID-19 right here in Brooklyn,” said Maimonides President and CEO Kenneth Gibbs.

Janice Yang, director of Asian Outreach at the hospital, thanked Winnie Greco, the American/Chinese ambassador of the office of the Brooklyn Borough President and president of Sino America New York Brooklyn Archway Association Corp.

“This funding helps us directly engage with our community and allows us to connect the incredible care we provide with more of our neighbors,” Yang said.

The ambulance will make daily patient transfers between Maimonides’ main campus and its cancer center. It will also support events in the Chinese community, provide standby medical coverage and transport materials for educational outreach and health screenings. 

“We believe that only if we work together and help each other, we can overcome coronavirus and have the final victory in fighting [the] pandemic,” said American Buddhist Confederation President Ming Yu. “Despite the relentless disasters we are facing, our world is filled with love.” 

Borough President Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for mayor, also spoke at the ceremony.

“As we look to boost vaccination rates, it is essential that we deploy credible messengers in different communities who speak a language that local residents can understand,” Adams said. “This new ambulance, coupled with the funding for testing and vaccines focused on Brooklyn’s Chinese community, are critically needed steps in our fight against this virus that should be replicated across the five boroughs.”