WATCH: Rand Refinery pledges millions towards hospital’s PPEs
The PPE will ensure that healthcare workers remain protected.
Rand Refinery, the only London Bullion Market Association refiner and smelter on the African continent, handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) destined for hospitals.
Tthe Gauteng acting MEC for Health, Jacob Mamabolo, and the deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla welcomed the handover held at The Edcon Academy in Ormonde.
The donations form part of Rand Refinery’s R10 million pledge to help the community around its operations during the growing coronavirus pandemic. Beneficiaries include Bertha Gxowa Hospital and OR Tambo Memorial Hospital as well as two quarantine sites, Telkom Park and Kopanong Hotel.
The PPE will ensure that healthcare workers remain protected. The two hospitals will also receive vehicles to transport critically ill Covid-19 patients that need in-hospital management. Moreover, a space has been earmarked at the Bertha Gxowa Hospital that will be furnished and readied for use by medical staff as quarters in event a spike in infections requires them to provide round the clock medical assistance.
“There is no denying that frontline healthcare workers carry the inordinate burden of care. Since the outbreak of the pandemic they have been there saving lives every day and risking their own in the process,” said Praveen Baijnath, CEO of Rand Refinery.
“As a responsible citizen with a license to operate in the community, we are committed to doing everything we possibly can to help healthcare workers do their jobs as safely as they can.
“Even though the number of cases has plateaued in South Africa, the easing of restrictions to Level 2 means it’s not only the essential medical professionals and workers who need PPE. With most businesses now operational, the demand for PPE is likely to surge,”
Rand Refinery’s own efforts to flatten the curve started in March when it responded to the fast-moving Covid-19 challenges and implemented new policies, social distancing measures, and significantly enhanced cleaning regimens to keep employees safe.
The company also aggressively distributed care packs over a four-month period to employees and their families, contractors and security staff including residents in the Jewellery Village. These care packs consisted of masks, vitamins and boosters, gloves, hand sanitiser, soap and a once off thermometer.
