By Our Reporter
As the number of cases positive with Coronavirus (COVID-19) increase daily, health workers continue to fight the outbreak on the front lines and this puts them at risk of contracting the virus due to their close proximity to the most severe cases. Without an influx of urgently needed protective equipment, more healthcare workers may fall ill, reducing the availability of care for patients.
It is from this background that Airtel Uganda is contributing Ugx 1.25 Billion to the Ministry of Health in Uganda, primarily to support health workers on the front line in the battle against COVID-19.
Commenting about the significant contribution, Mr. V.G. Somasekhar, the Airtel Uganda Managing Director said; “Today, we announce our additional support for Uganda’s COVID-19 response through a contribution of 1.25 billion Uganda shillings, primarily focused on supporting our frontline health workers. Now more than ever, we all need to apply our capabilities to the needs of nurses, doctors, midwives and community health workers. At this moment of crisis, no country can cope with what they need alone. The private sector needs to mobilize resources, alongside National Governments, to fight the raging pandemic.”
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng noted that, “this is an important partnership with Airtel in Uganda and demonstrates a real commitment to support our health workers who are battling day after day to defeat this pandemic. As individuals, members of the public should strictly follow the key hygiene measures and social distancing, to help flatten the curve of the epidemic, avoid overwhelming hospitals, and preserve access to healthcare.”
Airtel has already taken several steps to help mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak such as zero-rating the website for Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and many other websites where the public can access information from relevant authorities on the pandemic as well as education websites to enable students get free access to education materials while at home.