“We are here today to demonstrate our commitment through action-Lekani Katandula- Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc Managing Director
PLEDGE HONOURED!Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 donated pledged items to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) towards COVID-19 fight. Below is the speech delivered by the company’s Managing Director Lekani Katandula during the handover ceremony;
SPEECH BY LEKANI KATANDULA ISM MANAGING DIRECTOR AT QUEEN ELIZABETH CENTRAL HOSPITAL
Good morning to you all. Let me start by thanking you Mr Ngwira and your team for the warm reception and for allowing us to hold this ceremony here. I would also like to thank the Media for your presence here today.
These are very difficult times for the nation as a whole. As a business we believe that in order for us to succeed we need the communities we operate in to thrive. What is apparent now is that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it very difficult for communities to thrive. The disruption to livelihoods and the devastation being caused by death due to COVID-19 is unprecedented.
Therefore following the public appeal for assistance made to the private sector by the state President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and private appeals by the Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima, Illovo as one of the significant players in the economy decided to respond positively to these appeals.
Our response also complements our own ongoing internal campaign tagged COVID-19: IT’S IN OUR HANDS which we launched in April 2020 and is aimed at encouraging all our employees to commit to behaving in a manner that will help stop the spread of the pandemic at work, in their homes and in their communities .
The campaign also encourages staff to acknowledge that prevention of the pandemic IS IN THEIR HANDS.
The contribution to QECH also confirms our firm commitment to join the government in its efforts to those that are adversely affected by the virus in the country.
We hope that our contribution as well as those of many others from the private sector will in some way help to ease the financial burden which the government is facing in its efforts to fight this pandemic.
We are here today to demonstrate our commitment through action. This donation which we are making today is valued at TWENTY MILLION KWACHA and is part of the ONE HUNDREND MILLION KWACHA commitment which we announced on the 27th of January 2021.
We are spending K40 million in Nkhotakota and K40 million in Chikwawa where our estates are located.
The items we are presenting today include;
TWENTY ONE Hospital Beds complete with Mattresses and Drip stands;
THREE PATIENT MONITORS; and
TEN NEBULIZERS
Mr Ngwira please accept these items on behalf of the Ministry of Health but more specifically on behalf of QECH. We hope that these items will alleviate some of the shortages the hospital has been experiencing which has hampered the efficient provision of care to patients suffering from COVID-19.
This contribution is also in addition to a sum of TEN MILLION KWACHA which Illovo donated during the first wave of the pandemic to the Kameza Isolation center (in form of hospital beds and monitors).
We also spent a further SIXTY MILLION KWACHA to support Blantyre City council, Chikwawa district hospital and Nkhotakota district hospitals during the first wave.
I would like to end by acknowledging that we all have a role to play in protecting and supporting you, our health workers who are working tirelessly to ensure our Nations wellbeing. We must thus remember that our behavior and decisions made every day have a significant impact not only on ourselves but also on our family members, friends, communities and indeed you, our health workers.
It is thus imperative for all to play our individual roles by adhering to all the protocols namely – the wearing of masks, washing of hands and maintaining social distancing at all times. We have to give up some norms of today so we can ensure a better tomorrow.
This is why ITS IN OUR HANDS to ensure that the fight against COVID-19 is victorious and concluded as soon as possible.
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