Bankers Association donates oxygen worth N$2.3 million to health ministry
The Bankers Association of Namibia (BAN) has donated N$2.3 million worth of oxygen to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to ensure that the rising demand for oxygen in state hospitals is met.
The donation was made in response to the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s call for the business sector to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and comes at a time when new infections, hospitalisation, and death rates are rising exponentially.
According to statistics by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, out of the 59,015 COVID-19 tests in the past two weeks, the rate of positive results was 41%. Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula noted that the demand for oxygen has become acute and the suppliers have struggled to cope in its supply.
The donation by BAN also came at the same time when President Hage Geingob appealed to all international cooperating partners, friendly nations, and the Namibian private sector to continue mobilising resources in support of the Government’s response, to combat further devastation by COVID-19.
“As BAN, we will see to it that we continue to work with the government in the fight against COVID-19, our clients and employees have all been affected by the pandemic and need our support. We play an important role in the economy of our country; this is our Namibia,” said Martha Murorua, Managing Director of Nedbank Namibia and Chairperson of Bankers Association of Namibia.
Murorua urged the private sector to join the call by the government and donate towards the fight against COVID-19.
