African Guarantee Fund (AGF) has today donated essential medical equipment worth Ksh. 2.2 million to Pumwani Maternity Hospital. Pumwani is a referral maternity hospital located on the east of Nairobi City.
The donation by AGF is in a bid to strengthen the hospital’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
African Guarantee Fund is a non-bank financial institution that provides financial institutions with guarantee products and capacity development assistance specifically in Africa. Since inception, the institution has boosted Small and Medium Enterprises lending in Africa by issuing guarantees to financial institutions, unlocking loans worth Ksh. 200.5 billion (USD 2.5 billion)
About 300 health workers are set to benefit from the donation, which constitutes critical medical equipment like oxygen concentrators, oxygen masks, non-permeable disposable gowns, patient monitors, hand sanitizers with mountable dispensers, surgical masks, N95 masks, patient & infant beds, and infused thermometer guns required by the hospital’s workers in the lie of duty.
Speaking during the handing over event, African Guarantee Fund Group CEO, Mr. Jules Ngankam, said, “This donation is part of African Guarantee Fund’s (AGF) commitment to give back to the community especially in light of the ongoing pandemic. As the largest Maternity Hospital in the country and Sub-Saharan Africa at large, the need to ensure the safety of healthcare providers, and subsequently the patients, who are among the most vulnerable cannot be underscored enough. Expectant women, infants, and children are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure, and as a company that is deeply ingrained in the community we operate in, we are determined to be a part of the solution.”
On the receiving end, Pumwani Hospital’s Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr. Beth Maina expressed her appreciation to AGF for the support noting that scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment kits and other equipment has been a challenge faced by the healthcare sector.
The donation follows the launch of a Covid-19 Guarantee Facility by the African Guarantee Fund earlier in the year that has served to cushion African SMEs against the adverse effects of the pandemic.