Safaricom Foundation donates PPEs in Murang’a

The fight against Covid-19 in Murang’a county got a major boost after Safaricom Foundation donated Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) worth Sh36 million to health workers in the area.
The telecommunication company handed over PPEs Monday to help hospital workers protect themselves from contracting coronavirus.
The Safaricom team led by their Head of talent Management Mr. Peter Njioka donated surgical masks, sanitizers and protective clothes which will be used by doctors and nurses in their daily duties.
Njioka said his company has so far donated PPEs to 21 counties and the programme will continue until all counties get support.
Safaricom has been in the forefront in complimenting the government’s efforts in provision of health care in the country. We did not start during times of coronavirus but our programmes on health have been ongoing,” he added.
Speaking as he received the consignment, the county executive officer for health and sanitation Mr. Joseph Mbai said Murang’a county hospital needs more PPEs for medical workers as the facility attends about 800 patients on a daily basis.
“With the covid-19 pandemic, the demand for PPEs for our health workers is high and as we appreciate donation by Safaricom, we appeal for other well-wishers to come out and support us so as to provide quality health services,” observed Mbai.
The county has so far recorded 140 confirmed cases of Covid-19 cases, with Mbai saying majority of the patients have recovered.
“In this county we have only lost only two patients to Covid-19. We are managing other patients at home based care,” he added.
On her part, Murang’a county women representative Sabina Chege who was present thanked organizations which are supporting the government in the fight against coronavirus.
She lauded Safaricom Foundation for supporting frontline Health Workers in Murang’a terming the gesture as highly welcome and appreciated.
Chege said masks and sanitizers being donated should be of quality to avoid putting lives of health workers at risk of contracting the disease.
“We laud Safaricom Foundation for supporting the government in the fight against Covid-19. The PPEs they have given out are of best quality and will go a long way in protecting our health workers,” said Chege who is also chair of the parliamentary committee for health.
She told doctors to reject PPEs which do not meet the required quality, while calling upon the Kenya Bureau of standards to publish manufacturers of substandard masks.
“Recently KEBS published producers of substandard sanitizers and we want the agency to also publish names of companies which are manufacturing masks of poor quality,” she added.
Chege said her committee is further pursuing to unravel how funds meant for PPEs were misappropriated by KEMSA.
“On Thursday we will have members of KEMSA Board to further continue investigating claims on misappropriation of funds meant to purchase PPEs,” she said.
By Bernard Munyao