Absa Bank Boosts Uganda’s Fight Against Covid-19

Posted by African Examiner African News, East/Central Africa, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Around Africa Monday, August 2nd, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A frontline financial institution, Absa Bank has strengthened Uganda’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic with the donation of 160 medical oxygen cylinders.

Absa Bank Uganda Limited, a subsidiary of Absa Group, one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups with a presence in 14 countries, currently operates an extensive network of over 39 branches with 69 Automatic Tell Machines (ATMs) spread across the east African nation.

While speaking at the handing over ceremony which took place at the Headquarters of the country’s Ministry of Health, the Managing Director of Absa Bank, Mr. Mumba Kalifungwa said the donated oxygen cylinders with their accessories will be distributed in 4 Regional Referral Hosiptals (RRH), in Soroti, Gulu, Lira and Jinja where each hospital will receive 40 cylinders.

“We believe this will go a long way to help in meeting the demand for medicals oxygen. It is therefore crucial that, as private sector we work hand in hand with government to ensure that we strengthen our national health response to the pandemic. This pandemic has after-all stressed the importance of the common African concept of Ubuntu. We must all unite and corroborate to mount the strong fight to this pandemic”, he said.

In her response, Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Acheng thanked the management of the bank on behalf of the National Task Force on COVID-19, the Government and people of Uganda, for the donation.

“Allow me to appreciate Absa for coming yet again to support the response to Covid-19, this is not the first time they are coming here. During the first wave of the pandemic, they were here tosupport with items like PPEs and test kits that could be used by health workers. And now yet again they are here to support with one of the greatest needs of this time and that is oxygen.

“The facilities that you have chosen to donate to are treatment facilities that manage some of the severe and critically ill patients of Covid-19 and indeed they require a lot of oxygen. And many of you have heard of the challenges that we faced during this time, just before we started having a decline; when the oxygen requirements rose more than 6 times what used to be used before in the country. While numbers are now going down the severe and critically ill continue to be admitted and therefore the need for oxygen will definitely continue” , the minister added.

Similarly, the Executive Director of JMS, Mr. Bildard Baguma noted that the donation from Absa could not have come at a more opportune time to be able to help in enhancing Uganda’s COVID-19 response.

“We appreciate and JMS the choice of Absa to trust us with the responsibility to provide these oxygen cylinders and oxygen refills. We will also continue to provide necessary use training, provide necessary maintenance for these equipment at no additional cost to the hospitals going to receive them expect where it will require purchase of spare parts”, he further stated.