Kenyan manufacturers have been lauded for producing high quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), towards the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
Equity Bank Group Managing Director & CEO, Dr. James Mwangi, observed that the production of the PPEs in the country has curtailed fraud which could be associated with importation of the protection gears.
He added that production and procurement of the equipment has helped the government in acquiring quality gears and at less price.
Speaking when he led an exercise of distribution of PPES to three mission hospitals in Murang’a, Dr. Mwangi further noted the manufacturing process has also created thousands of jobs to Kenyans.
Mwangi who also chairs the Health Committee of Kenya Covid-19 Fund, divulged that, 76 factories in the country are involved in production of PPEs which has also created employment to more than 7, 000 Kenyans.
“Production of PPEs in the country helped in reduction of prices for instance, an overall currently goes for Sh650 from Sh20, 000 and one can get a mask at five shillings,” noted Mwangi
Equity Bank, the CEO observed, will distribute PPEs worth Sh5 million to a number of mission hospitals within Murang’a County.
“The country continues to fight the pandemic, the Bank is in process of distributing PPEs to selected mission hospitals within Murang’a County,” he added, when he led an exercise of distributing the PPEs at Kiria-ini Mission Hospital.
He further noted that the Bank is still carrying out a programme which will see 56 referral hospitals and 60 mission health facilities get supply of PPEs.
The country, Mwangi said, is still under threat of the pandemic, calling Kenyans to get Covid-19 vaccine.
“The government has ordered more Covid-19 vaccines, it’s my appeal to Kenyans to ensure they get this jab so as to help fight the pandemic and resume normal way of life,” remarked the CEO.
He further stated that as a way to fight impact of the pandemic, Equity Group has donated Sh85 million to the Kenya National Nurses Association to set up a socio psycho-mental wellness programme to support the nurses for two years so as to help manage stress and depression arising from the pandemic.
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Murang’a, Rt. Rev. James Maria Wainaina, thanked the Equity Group for the kind gesture, noting that the Group has carried out very influential humanitarian projects in recent times to assist people in their livelihoods.
“We have been partnering outside financial obligations in health under Equity Afia Health, which has been very instrumental, especially in our health institutions. This has brought more benefits to people,” noted the Bishop.
Other health facilities which received the PPEs include St. Raphael Gaichanjiru Hospital and Githumu Health Centre in Kandara Sub- County.
By Bernard Munyao and Florence Kinyua
