United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Mpilo Central Hospital on Wednesday received donations of testing kits from FBC Bank limited to aid them in the fight against the COVID-19.
Mpilo Central Hospital received 520 Coronavirus test kits while UBH received 480.
Handing over the donation at Mpilo Central Hospital, senior manager of FBC Royce Sibanda said the group was joining forces with all stakeholders in the public and private sector as they are aware of the socio-economic challenges arising from the rapid spreading of COVID-19.
“As FBC Group, we are aware of the socio-economic challenges arising from the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 which was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said Sibanda.
“In the wake of the global pandemic of the contagious COVID-19, we have seen it fit to play our small part towards responding to a national cause in line with our corporate social responsibility thrust as we aspire to build a healthy and prosperous nation.”
Sibanda added that they believed the test kits would go a long way in early detection as they come from a total of 10 000 test kits which are being split among different beneficiaries.
“The kits are being distributed as follows for the benefit of the nation of Zimbabwe, 5000 were given to the office of President and Cabinet, 3 000 for PSMI, 1000 for United Bulawayo Hospital and Mpilo Hospital and 1 000 for Harare Hospital,” said Sibanda.
Meanwhile, Asakhane Live Community also donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to Mpilo Central Hospital Wednesday.
Sithandazile Dube, who represented the organisation said if communities came together and fought with one goal, they would win the war against the global pandemic.
“We came with 5 000 masks, 10 000 gloves, 200 face shield and five sneeze shields, sanitiser 70 litres, and a thermometer,” said Dube.
Receiving the donations for the two hospitals, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs, Judith Ncube, said the donations would go a long way in complementing government’s efforts in the fight against the spread of the global pandemic.
“I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to FBC and Asakhane Live Community,” said Ncube.
“The donation will go a long way in complementing government’s effort in the fight against the Covid-19 and in fulfilling our national vision of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle economy by 2030 with improved health systems and living conditions.”
