State-owned telecommunications company, TelOne has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth ZWL$300 000 to Chikurubi Maximum Prison in a move to alleviate PPE shortage at the country’s biggest prison in light of the increased COVID19 transmissions.
The timely donation which includes hand sanitisers and washable face masks for in-mates was handed over to Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) health services director Senior Assistant Commissioner Dr Evidence Gaka at Chikurubi Maximum Prison on Friday last week.
The donated items are 1500 washable masks, 250 surgical masks, 100 heavy-duty aprons, 170 Litres of disinfectants, 100 overalls, 100 goggles, 45 boxes of hand sanitisers and 15 boxes hand gloves.
The PPE donation will service the Chikurubi Maximum Prison inmates and the Prison clinic staff.
TelOne Corporate Communications Head Melody Harry said the donation is part of TelOne’s extended intervention to support the Government COVID19 Response.
“Our donation is part of our extended intervention to support Government’s COVID19 response. As an organisation, we are always ready to assist in emerging community needs. Under our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programming, we deliberately assist the vulnerable in our communities. As COVID19 cases increase it is noble for us to assist with PPE for inmates as well as staff which services the Chikurubi Maximum Prison clinic,” Harry said.
ZPCS Health Services Director Senior Assistant Commissioner Dr Evidence Gaka who accepted the donation on behalf of his organisation said PPE remains a critical need as each day there are new inmates thus putting pressure on their resources.
“This gesture is critical as it helps us to ensure that all inmates including the new entrants are safe. It also helps ensure staff safety if they have to handle an unwell inmate”, he said.
Gaka said Chikurubi maximum Prisons has different people coming in the prison from courts and staff who also travel to come to work as such making the risk of contracting the virus high.
TelOne has always been proactive in assisting the government to combat COVID19. Last year, the company in partnership with NetOne availed a joint COVID 19 response support facility to the tune of ZWL$10million.
