File photo: personal protective equipment, or PPE. (Photo: Agencies)

The British Chinese Community Group donated 30,000 medical gowns to the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London on Monday, to help ease the shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, on the frontline of the United Kingdom's fight against the COVID-19 disease.

The donation, made under the We Care NHS initiative, was mainly organized by the London Chinatown Chinese Association and a local Chinese community group called Zhejiang UK Association.

The donors raised money and collected medical supplies from more than 100 local Chinese communities and Chinese people in the UK.

Deng Zhuting, president of the London Chinatown Chinese Association, said during the donation ceremony that the donated medical supplies represent "the hearts and minds of more than 100 Chinese community groups and individuals".

"They would like to show their appreciation to the NHS during the pandemic and to help in any way to protect the NHS staff in their selfless endeavor to save lives and beat the virus," he said.

David Lawson, chief procurement officer for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are pleased to confirm receipt of 30,000 protective gowns, essential and timely for our work fighting COVID-19, and to thank the British Chinese Community for this generous donation."

According to the organizer of the initiative, about 70,000 surgical masks and other medical equipment is on its way to the UK.

At present, medical staff in the UK who are fighting on the frontline against COVID-19 are facing a lack of PPE. According to guidance from Public Health England revealed in the Guardian newspaper on Friday, healthcare workers have been told to reuse disposable PPE.

On April 8, a donation was made by China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, or CCCUK, member, the Bank of China, including 20 ventilators and 1.86 million pieces of PPE, to the Lord Mayor's Appeal. The items will be passed to the National Health Service as well as care homes and to local communities.

Deng Zhuting (second from left), representing the British Chinese Community Group, makes the donation to the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London on Monday.