100,000 N95 masks donated ‘to protect’ KZN’s healthcare workers

In a statement on Monday, the provincial government said the masks have been donated to the Solidarity Fund for delivery to the KwaZulu-Natal department of health on Monday, 15 June.

KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has appreciated the donation of the masks which are in high demand “because they are designed to protect medical staff when caring for patients known or suspected to be infected with” Covid-19.

“The masks will be distributed to public hospitals across the province over the coming weeks,” said Simelane-Zulu.

Mondi’s CEO Viv McMenamin said the company was committed to playing a role in the supply of essential products during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We hope that this donation will help provide much needed protective face masks to health authorities in KwaZulu Natal. We want to help protect healthcare workers and curb the spread of the virus among vulnerable communities,” said  McMenamin.

Interim CEO of the Solidarity Fund, Nomkhita Nqweni said such a contribution helped “to augment government’s efforts to prepare the health system to fight the pandemic and ensure critical equipment and emergency supplies are available where they are needed most”.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said the masks were critical personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses in hospitals.

“These masks will support us in our efforts to ensure that we address any gaps in demand over the coming months,” Zikalala said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.