By Mc Donald Chapalapata, a Contributor
Ethanol distiller Ethanol Company (EthCo) Friday donated various items worth K13 million to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic to NKhota-Kota and Salima District Hospitals.
EthCo Chief Executive Officer Lusubilo Chakaniza said as part of the Company’s shared value programme, EthCo supports the needs of the society in the areas of rural development, health and safety, education and the environment.
“Our Corporate Social Investment towards the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic since it started in early 2020 is currently valued at K40 million. As long as we exist, we will continue to support the needs of the society we live in including the district hospital,” said Chakaniza.
Chakaniza, a Covid-19 survivor herself, said while EthCo has faced its own challenges since the emergence of the pandemic, an opportunity arose from its value improvement and innovation program and hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants were added to their line of products.
“We made sure that the pandemic did not cripple our operations by decongesting our factory and keeping it running thereby producing our ethanol products including the hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants some of which we are donating today,” added Chakaniza.
Among the items that were donated included two Oxygen Concentrators one each for Nkhota-Kota and Salima district hospitals, 1, 580 litres of hand sanitizers, 400 litres of surface disinfectant, suction tubes and Oxygen cylinders. EthCo also donated K1.5 million together with other companies in Dwangwa for the rehabilitation of the Nkhota-Kota hospital pharmacy.
Speaking on behalf of the District Commissioner, Getrude Maliko-Chipeta thanked EthCo for the donation saying it will go a long way in the fight against Covid-19 in the district.
“We express our gratitude towards this great support. This is not the first time that EthCo is supporting us and we are very grateful. We all know that government has limited resources and it is good when our partners like EthCo step in to support,” said Maliko-Chipeta.
Salima District Health Office Senior Nursing Officer Yanjanani Mawindo also hailed EthCo for including Salima hospital although it is not within the jurisdiction where EthCo operates its business.
“We are grateful that we have been included as beneficiaries although we know that EthCo does not operate from Salima. We hope other companies will emulate the example set by EthCo,” she said.
Mawindo also urged people not to relax Covid-19 preventive measures just because the numbers have been going down.
