Equity Bank last Friday distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the Nyeri County health workers to protect them from contracting Coronavirus in the course of their duties.
While launching the distribution exercise Friday at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital, Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi underscored the role being played by the frontline soldiers in the fight against spread of the disease.
Mwangi noted that the medics were putting their lives at risk and called for concerted efforts to support them from contracting the disease.
The CEO also said that the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country opened an opportunity for Kenyans to transform their livelihoods and that of the country.
He cited the transformation of the health sector in the counties within a short time and manufacturing of PPEs and face masks that would have been imported.
Mwangi added that the country in the future will become an exporter of some of the health equipment like PPEs instead of importing and saving money.
The Bank boss urged Kenyans to strictly adhere to the Ministry of Health protocols to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
“These simple things we are being told to observe are the key to containing the spread of the virus,” Mwangi said.
He warned medics against failing to use the PPEs adding that they will have to blame themselves if they contract the pandemic.
The PPEs will be distributed to the designated Covid-19 hospitals namely, Nyeri County Referral, Karatina, Othaya,Mukurweini and Mt Kenya.
Mwangi urged Nyeri residents to take precautionary measures against the spread of Covid-19 noting that the region was at a higher risk due to the prevalence of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) and increasing numbers of the aged.
He at the same time, said his bank has engaged in training medics on psycho-social support, and case management for quality service to patients.
Speaking during the same occasion, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga disclosed that his administration has set aside Sh 65 million to pay health care workers as special allowance effective this month.
Kahiga said 1,302, about 73 per cent of the health care workers from both public and private facilities in the region have been trained on Covid-19 disease infection prevention, case management and surveillance, adding that they have the requisite skills to use PPEs.
By Mwangi Gaitha
