Leading multinational Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis (Bangladesh) Limited has donated 28,000 personal protective equipment (PPEs) to Swiss Red Cross and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.
The equipment includes medical gown, KN 95 masks and goggles worth of Tk2.27 crore will be distributed among the health care professionals who are working at the designated hospitals for corona treatment in the country, a press release said on Thursday.
Dr Riad Mamun Prodhani, managing director of Novartis (Bangladesh) Limited handed over the equipment to the representatives of Swiss Red Cross and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society on Wednesday.
Riad: “Novartis Bangladesh will be more active in preventing the spread of Covid-19 while putting the interest of the patients and all others involved in medical care at the front. It is a small donation but we are very excited to be part of the nationwide efforts to overcome the Covid-19 outbreak.”
To support the efforts of the government during the Covid 19 crisis Novartis has taken all-out efforts to ensure the uninterrupted supply of their medicine for their patients, starting from opening a dormitory at their Tongi manufacturing plant for the continuation of production to arrange home delivery of medicine to prevent any potential delivery disruptions.
Amitabh Sharma, country representative of Swiss Red Cross said: “The impact of the pandemic is unique and its management requires the establishment of partnerships like never before.
“The coming together of Novartis, BDRCS and SRC is not only a good example of such partnerships but we are also extremely happy to extend our support and collaboration to Novartis in distributing the high-quality PPE to hospitals and frontline workers that are at the forefront of Covid – 19.”
Rafiqul Islam, deputy secretary-general of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Paolo Agbotounou, Sandoz country head, were present at the event, among others.
