The Gift of the Givers have been working tirelessly to fight the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic.
Through the launch of a campaign on BackaBuddy, the Gift of the Givers have raised a total of R 1 908 064.41 with contributions from 1380 donors, to provide medical practitioners across the country with much needed support.
Please see below, a brief update on this campaign by Dr Imtiaz Sooliman from Gift of the Givers.
With support from the public, The Gift of the Givers has intervened in the Covid-19 challenge in several decisive approaches:
1. Focused on front line health care workers by providing protective materials and essential equipment.
“In addition to the procurement of one million masks, we have ordered or already have in stock coveralls, Hazmat suits, reusable and disposable surgical gowns, scrub suits, latex gloves, head covers, shoe covers, goggles, visors, thermal scans and sanitiser. Thus far we have distributed protective supplies to 160 hospitals and clinics nationwide and the list is expanding. ” – says Dr Sooliman.
2. Set up 30 triage tents at key hospitals to limit virus contamination to the outside of the hospital.
3. Carried out Covid-19 testing. Over thirteen Covid-19 testing sites have been set up and over 5000 patients have been tested. The Gift of the Givers team members have been actively involved in the testing process. Gift of the Givers has partnered First Care Courier Pharmacy to provide a mobile Covid- 19 testing team that travels distances for mass testing. The testing team covers parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo. Gift of the Givers has purchased six ILEX pcr test machines which will be set up in specially designated Covid-19 lab facilities to speed up the testing process.
4. Provided over 70 000 food parcels to vulnerable individuals and supported over 100 feeding centres nationwide.
“Food intervention is an absolute necessity. We envisage a much greater intervention in these areas in the coming days.” – says Dr Sooliman.
5. Provided water in drought stricken areas.
“Our water tankers deliver 530 000L of water per week in the Eastern Cape. In addition we have 400 fully functional boreholes drilled over an 18 month period which provides clean drinking water daily.” says Dr Sooliman.
6. Produced and distributed material re-usable masks.
“Material masks have been donated to us as well as rolls of material. Various women sewing groups have participated in sewing masks for us. These are being provided to the health department Covid-19 contact tracing teams to hand out to high risk individuals.” – says Dr Sooliman.
7. Supplied over 40 000 maternity and baby packs to mothers on the verge of delivery.
8. Provided a toll free line to give feedback on testing and related Covid-19 information – 0800 786786
9. Provided a toll free counselling service to assist individuals with domestic and other counselling matters.
10. Placed medical volunteers on standby to intervene in a major crisis.
“Our core volunteer teams are ready to intervene in the face of a major crisis, are reviewing and studying Covid-19 information on a daily basis, and are playing a major role in testing.” – says Dr Sooliman.
11. Provided protective material for SAPS.
“Supporting SAPS has become an important consideration seeing that they are so vulnerable being exposed to those positive patients in various communities. Gift of the Givers has been supplying SAPS headquarters, various divisions of the police services and various regions with protective supplies as well as food and water at checkpoints.” – says Dr Sooliman.
12. Fifteen video laryngoscopes for ICU have been bought. The first five have been delivered to Steve Biko, Tshwane General, Charlotte Maxeke, Rahima Moosa and Sebokeng Hospitals.
13. Gift of the Givers will be supporting the eThekwini Municipality homeless shelter by paying for registered nurses to attend to 2700 individuals.
You can continue supporting the Gift of the Givers in the fight against Covid-19, by making a donation on BackaBuddy: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/coronavirus-support
*All donors qualify for a Section 18A tax certificate issued by The Gift of The Givers for the full value of their donation.