(Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by Editor)
BULAWAYO – Government run telecom entities, Telone and Netone have adopted two hospitals for refurbishments as part of their Covid-19 Mitigation Corporate Social Investment initiatives and have put together a combined ZW$10 000.000.00 towards capacitating public health facilities.
Deputy Minister for ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Mr Dingumuzi Phuti, during the unveiling of the newly refurbished Ward 5 at Mpilo Hospital, said the sector was playing a critical role in supporting all other economic activities.
“I stand here today, to unveil a Covid-19 response package by 2 companies under the Ministry’s purview, namely Netone and Telone. Both entities resolved to collaborate as State owned entities in the Telecoms sector on a 50/50 Joint Covid-19 Mitigation Corporate Social Investment Initiative and put together a combined total of ZW$10, 000,000.00 towards both immediate needs as well as medium to long-term projects that seek to capacitate our public health facilities.
Acting Chief Executive Officer for Netone, Ms Chipo Jaisson said the collaboration between the two companies has led to them supporting three health facilities, Mpilo Hospital, Sally Mugabe and Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital.
“Our intervention has focused on four critical aspects that addressed both immediate and long-term needs. The first one being the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to improve the protection of front line health professionals. It is important to note that the high demand for these highly consumable lines, largely exceeds the supply of the same given their frequency of use as well as disposable nature, “she said.
The others areas of focus by Netone and Telone are the provision of Clean Water and Sanitation through drilling boreholes, procurement of critical mediacal equipment and the adoption of Sally Mugabe and Mpilo Hospitals Wards for refurbishments
Ms Chipo Mutasa, the Managing Director at Telone said the goal was to help create a suitable, safe and clean environment for patients to recover and promoting a culture of excellence in the public health sector.
Various ICT companies played a role in the setting up of the National Covid-19 Response Hotline 2019. Companies donated different ICT equipment and toll free lines to the National Emergency Call Center for the Ministry of Health.
Two weeks ago the two companies unveiled the work they have done at Sally Mugabe Hospital.