Equity Bank CEO commits Sh300m to curb Covid-19

Equity Group chief executive James Mwangi has made a Sh300m donation towards the fight against coronavirus spread and impact, making it one of the largest personal contributions for the Covid-19 response fund.

Equity Bank Foundation and Mastercard Foundation have also offered Sh300 million and Sh500 million respectively, bringing the total amount of funds committed to Sh1.1 billion.

The funds, they said, would go towards the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the health workers on the frontline.

According to Mr Mwangi, he said, “My attention was drawn to a group of students and doctors who were raising funds for PPEs for young post graduate students especially at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)”.

Mwangi stressed further, “When I shared the need with my family, a robust discussion revealed the urgency to holistically address the issue as it was not prudent to provide the PPEs to students without also focusing on the plight of the doctors, nurses, clinical officers, and medical staff”.

The two foundations, through a seven-member steering committee, said they would partner with the Ministry of Health and the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to coordinate their response in line with national priorities, while also minimising duplication of efforts.

“We invited the CEO of the Kenya Medical Association and a group of doctors from KNH and the University of Nairobi, where we established the need for PPEs for medical staff handling Covid-19 patients in the country. A team of seven was formed to help structure this initiative,” Mr Mwangi said.

The committee will coordinate the implementation of the initiative to ensure availability of PPEs across the country besides scaling up the mental wellness support system for medical staff.

Also commenting on the development, the President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation Reeta Roy, said, “Health care workers are at the frontlines of caring for all of us, safeguarding community health. We must keep them safe. We are grateful that this partnership meets the immediate needs precipitated by Covid-19, which the Foundation is prioritising through our Mastercard Foundation Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Programme”.