Old Mutual Malawi Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager Patience Chatsika has urged Malawians across the country not to relax in the fight against Coronavirus pandemic despite a decrease in the number of active cases countrywide.
Chatsika said this on Friday when the leading Insurance Company in the country donated MK8 million to four hospitals under Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) at a ceremony held at Mlambe Hospital in Blantyre.
The MK80 million donation will be shared equally among the four hospitals namely Mlambe Hospital, St Joseph Nguludi, Nkhoma Hospital and Embagweni Hospital and the funds will be used to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
In the interview Chatsika said COVID-19 is still remain a deadly diseases across the country and Malawians should continue following guidelines to prevent further spread of the pandemic.
“It is indeed very important that as a nation we do not relax in abiding to COVID-19 protocols.
“We have leant from other geographies that whenever there is relaxation it’s when the pandemic spread faster, so ours it’s an appeal to the nation, health care facilities and health care workers who are our partners in this fight that we should not relax in abiding to COVID-19 protocols,” said Chatsika.
Turning to the donation, Chatsika said Old Mutual donated funds to CHAM hospital after receiving a request for PPEs.
“We decided to donate to four CHAM hospitals because we are aware that they were in need to PPEs as they also contacted as several times asking the same,” said Chatsika.
When asked as to why Old Mutual opted for the said hospitals despite receiving requests from several stakeholders Chatsika hinted that the company was moved with a request from friends of Embangweni hospital.
“There were a lot of stakeholders including hospitals that approached us but we could not assist everyone
.
“Through consultation with CHAM we did isolate four hospitals to assist and one of it being Embangweni and in our consultation we understood that a lot of people who are coming from pour neighboring countries like South Africa most of them are heading back home, most of whom are from Mzimba so throu8gh the friends of Embangweni who requested us for support we thought it is very important to support these hospitals,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the four hospitals after receiving the donation CHAM Executive Director Happy Makala applauded Old Mutual for a timely donation.
“Well the donation we have received this afternoon from Old Mutual is unprecedented because as CHAM we have been crying out there appealing to the cooperate world and others to assist our facilities becasuse we have been grabbling with the challenge in terms of accessing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and the fact that Old Mutual has come forward to donate MK8 million to CHAM which will be distributed equally to among four of our hospitals that are St Joseph-Nguludi in the South and also Mlambe Hospital where we are this afternoon, Nkhoma Hospital in Central Region and Embangweni in Mzimba.
“We are so thankful and grateful to Old Mutual for the kind gesture shown to us through this donation,” said Makala.
He then assured Old Mutual that the donation will be used for the intended purpose.
Recently Old Mutual donated medical supplies worth MK29.1 million to Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu District Health Offices.
