By Amin Kef Sesay
On Friday 3rd July, 2020 the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank(SLCB) donated COVID-19 medical items and protective gears worth two hundred and fifty million Leones (Le250, 000,000) to the 34 Military Hospital at Wilberforce in Freetown considered to be the lead Treatment Centre of the coronavirus disease in Sierra Leone.
In his statement, Deputy Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, Bockarie Kalokoh, disclosed that as a Bank they are very committed in supporting the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
He furthered that to every well-meaning Sierra Leonean, combating COVID-19 is a national duty which is why SLCB, as the leading commercial bank in the country, thought it but fitting as their duty to support the fight against COVID-19 and therefore decided to donate the medical items as they are very concerned about the welfare of the inflicted patients.
The Deputy Managing Director said the Bank enquired to know the critical medical equipment that are required in the fight and went out to secure those items which they are now donating to the 34 Hospital with the strong belief that they will greatly help in the fight against COVID-19 in the country.
He said SLCB is doing the second donation in the same week all amounting to seven hundred and fifty million Leones (Le750, 000, 000). “On the 2nd July, 2020 the Bank boosted the National COVID-19 Response Centre (NACOVERC) with the sum of five hundred million Leones (Le500, 000,000) and now this Friday 3rd July 2020 the Bank is again donating medical items worth Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250, 000,000) as an added contribution to the fight against the coronavirus in the country,” he disclosed.
Bockarie Kalokoh further revealed that the cash presentation was obtained from funds set aside to engage on massive sensitization of the people about the “dos and don’ts” geared towards preventing the spread of the virus and scaling up the fight against the disease in Western Area.
He disclosed that SLCB will continue to take the lead in complementing the efforts of the Government, led by President Julius Maada Bio in the prevention, treatment and protection of the masses against COVID-19 in the country.
Receiving the items, Case Management Pillar Lead, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Stephen Sevalie, of the NACOVERC expressed gratitude to the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank for the kind gesture describing it as a very timely intervention at this crucial moment.
He said the Bank has really been very supportive towards the fight against COVID-19 as it has manifested such by identifying the critical needs necessary for the fight and delivering them where they are needed.
The Pillar Lead highlighted that the 34 Military Hospital is the lead Treatment Centre in the fight against the coronavirus disease in Sierra Leone disclosing how they are taking care of the most critical COVID-19 patients. He revealed that some of the key necessities in the Treatment Centre are machines to monitor Oxygen saturation, personal protective equipments to support frontline workers and medicines to treat other health conditions that do add to the COVID-19 disease that they do diagnose.
“I am impressed that the Bank was able to identify these issues and endeavoured to support the response with these critical items,” he commended.
He concluded by disclosing that the donated items which include Personal Protective Equipments, wide range of drugs, glucose monitoring tools, Anti-biotics, Anti-Hepatatis, Anti-Diabetes medicines etc. all which, he described, as very key in the fight against the virus.
