As South Africa’s COVID-19 coronavirus numbers continue to rise, hospitals are running short of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for essential workers. In response to the pandemic, leading international banking group, Standard Chartered has donated 25 000 N95 face masks to the Smile Foundation.
Standard Chartered is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. Since the beginning of the outbreak,the group has made numerous donations to organisations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and other NGOs providing emergency relief in countries across Africa and the Middle East impacted by COVID-19.
The donation will help ensure the health and safety of frontline and healthcare workers working with communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The N95 masks are tight-fitting and designed to help reduce the exposure coronavirus, through very efficient filtration. The face masks will go to hospitals in the Western Cape, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal who are most impacted by COVID-19.
Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO Standard Chartered South Africa & Southern Africa said “Standard Chartered Bank’s purpose is rooted in our communities and underpinned by our brand promise to be Here for Good. We recognize that communities in South Africa and around the world need all the support that can be garnered to fight this pandemic. We also acknowledge the impressive effort and sacrifice that healthcare professionals have put into the fight against the coronavirus so far and will continue to do into the future”.
Commenting on the donation, Hedley Lewis, Smile Foundation CEO said, “We are honoured to partner with Standard Chartered Bank to protect and support the medical heroes and heroines on the Frontline. With immense gratitude, we thank them on behalf of all of the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who are supporting South Africans while risking their own lives to overcome this pandemic.”
