SAKUNDA Holdings has donated its US$2.6 million equipment and the Arundel Hospital to Government for use in the fight against COVID-19.
This comes as the number of people contracting the disease increases.
Sakunda handed the donation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House this Thursday in the presence of some members of the national COVID-19 taskforce.
The company also revealed that it was going to pay the 55 medical personnel to man Arundel Hospital for the next six months.
Sakunda recently spruced up the medical facility which had been lying idle for many years.
The facility will be open to every Zimbabwean at no cost.
“Sakunda Holdings and its associates came up with a private initiative to complement government efforts to curb this pandemic specifically in the provision of health facilities, equipment, training and vaccines. The equipment being donated today include PPEs, 15 emergency ventilators, 40 portable ventilators, 35 000 rapid testing kits, among others worth US$2.6 million,” said Sakunda Holdings Chief Executive Officer Kudakwashe Tagwirei in a statement.
Sakunda Holdings further donated Arundel Hospital for use by the government of Zimbabwe as a COVID-19 centre.
“The facility will be accessible to every Zimbabwean at no cost. To ensure the operationalisation of the hospital, 55 medical professionals have been employed and their salaries for six months have been provided. Renovations, equipment installed and running cost at the hospital have cost Sakunda about US$2.8 million. Five emergency ventilators, 10 portable ventilators, three portable ultrasound scans, 2 200 rapid testing kits, 1 350 protective suits among other equipment have been installed at the hospital,” said Tagwirei.
Besides what has been donated to the government, Sakunda has another consignment which is in transit from China which includes, PPEs, 41 ICU ventilators, 41 ventilator monitors, 10 oxygen concentrators and 20 beds.
“Sakunda’s partners are also donating 300 thousand litres of fuel, thus 50 thousand litres monthly for the next six months, 1800 tonnes of maize to the government to assist in the national COVID-19 response. Sakunda Holdings is also facilitating a ZWL30 million grant, at ZWL5 million monthly for six months which will be available to universities of Government choice for research and development in the area of COVID-19,” he said. Receiving the donations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa heaped praises on Sakunda saying the firm had a lot of contribution in developing the country.
He even likened Tagwirei to the biblical Peter for his efforts.
“I want you all to know, that we accept with similar gratitude whatever you have brought but, of course, even Jesus had twelve disciples but we all know he had more favour towards Peter,” President Mnangagwa said.
“I don’t know the reason but maybe Peter quickly understood Jesus more than the others. I am
Saying so because I have a list of Sakunda who have done quite a lot in the volumes of the things that we need. I feel comfortable because there can’t be any more crying when it comes to equipping front line workers in the ministry of health professionals in terms of Personal Protective Equipment,”
