Private sector gives health ministry a helping hand in fight against Covid-19 |12 February 2021

Mr Lesperance hands over the donation of syringes to Dr Louange (Photo: Jude Morel)

 The private sector continues to give the Ministry of Health a helping hand in its fight against Covid-19 and the country’s vaccination efforts.

In two separate donations, the Ministry of Health yesterday secured 100,000 syringes for vaccination use from local company JHL Group Pty Ltd. and a cheque for R40,000 from CAT Security.

Chief executive of the Health Care Agency, Dr Danny Louange, graciously received the donations on behalf of the ministry during a brief ceremony at the Sheikh Khalifa diagnostic centre.

Representing the JHL Group, a fish business company, James Lesperance explained that the company contributed 100,000 syringes to the vaccination programme in order to assist the country in its vaccination efforts.

These are specialised syringes used solely for the purpose of vaccination.

Mr Lesperance called on other organisations to also contribute to the fight against Covid-19 and further urged members of the public to take heed of the ministry’s measures and guidelines to control the spread of the virus.

“It is a pleasure to accept a donation of such magnitude which has come just on time in the midst of the fight against Covid-19,” noted Dr Louange.

Unlike the Sinopharm vaccine, the Oxford/Astrazeneca or Covishield vaccine did not come along with vaccination syringes and hence the Ministry of Health has been making use of syringes that were in its stock.

Now with the donation, the ministry would be able to restock its vaccination syringes and continue with its vaccination programme without a hitch.

In the same spirit, Colyn Underwood from CAT Security handed over a cheque for R40,000 to Dr Louange, with the hope that the money is put to good use.