Rak Media Donates Covid-19 Items
Speaking during the event, the Head of RAK Media Group, Davis Gitari, thanked the government of South Sudan under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the vice presidents for their efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic concurrently with the efforts of the governments of the world. “All over the world, governments have been forced to put measures in place to curb the spread of the virus, and the government of South Sudan has not been left behind,” said Gitari.Gitari promised that RAK Media would remain steadfast in fighting the pandemic by strengthening sensitisation to alleviate the effects of the pandemic.
This was part of the support advanced by the Afrexim Bank, through the South Sudan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, to fund the COVID-19 response plan in the country. “Much gratitude also goes to the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) through South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance for extending a loan to the government of South Sudan to help fund its COVID-19 response plan,” Gitari said. “We, as a company, are constantly knocking doors at Afrexim Bank, other East African banks for financing of our initiatives to help our business achieve its vision. We can’t grow unless we take out loans and get funding for our various projects and initiatives.”
He finally lauded the United Nations organisations, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations, private players, and frontline healthcare workers, among other stakeholders, for their support through awareness and vaccination drives.
Among the items handed over by Rak Media were: 1,000 oxygen cylinders, 200 oxygen concentrators, two million two-layer reusable oxygen production plants, 500 oxygen cylinder trolleys, 150,000 throat swabs, 100,000 antigen test kits, 10,000 protective health uniforms for nurses and doctors, 20,000 protective health pairs of shoes, 400,000 protective 3 ply facemasks, and 20,000 gowns for healthcare workers; hospital beds, thermometers, gloves, and spray pumps.
Distribution plan
In his closing remarks, the Vice President of the Service Delivery Cluster and the Chairman of the National Taskforce on the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hussein Abdelbagi, said that the items would be dispatched to various locations where services were needed at the soonest possible.
He directed the Ministry of Health, the Medical Advisory Panel, and the National Taskforce Audit Committee to provide Covid-19 equipment to the national health laboratories and the Dr John Garang Infectious Diseases Centre.
He said that the equipment was sufficient for the country to support; adding that the medical equipment received would cover 60 per cent of the country’s needs.
“As we continue to wait for the other deliveries, the equipment handed over today will be sufficient to tackle Corona Virus cases and ensure that the lives of our people are safe,” said VP Abdelbagi.
“Today I was happy because I knew we had only eleven PCRs, and in our meeting, we had been asking ourselves, how we would tackle the new wave of COVID-19 at the airport, but today, we got a solution to it, and we are going to give the airport more than two PCRs so that they can test everybody who comes to our country to make sure that our people are safe.”
He said that more than two PCRs would be taken to the airport to curb the spread of the new wave of COVID-19 and urged the people of South Sudan to be vigilant in fighting the pandemic.
“It is with hope that this time, we will be ready to tackle the virus, with the availability of medical equipment already purchased. We are moving in the direction of controlling the spread of COVID-19 in our country, ” he added.
He appreciated Afrexim Bank for the efforts in financing the COVID-19 programs and said that it would help in the development of quality assurance. He promised support for the bank.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Grace Drugs and Healthcare, Uche Chika Ogbonna, assured Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Ayii Akol of consistent support for the health sector. He appreciated the Afrexim bank for the support, adding that the Nigerian President was bound to extend his helping hand to South Sudan due to his unwavering love for the country.
“We are here, and if I fall sick, I will run to the nearest hospital, so we chose the best. We decided to give you what you could use because when we look at you, you remind us of ourselves. Thank you for this opportunity. We are here to help you harmonise the standards of Africa. We are here to help you build a formidable hospital, ” he said as he handed over the keys of the ambulances to the Vice President, Hussein Abdelbagi Ayii Akol.
The items handed over by Grace Drugs and Healthcare included ambulances, cartridges, hospital beds, anaesthesia workstations, incinerators, ventilators, and PCR test kits, among others.
The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Victoria Anib Majur, who is also the secretary of the National Taskforce for the COVID-19 pandemic, appreciated Afrexim Bank for the funding endowed to Grace Drugs and Healthcare and Rak Media. She referred to it as a milestone in the race to curb the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 Taskforce has been striving to ensure that we are curbing the COVID-19 Pandemic. Having these COVID items today, is a milestone, and I believe it will support us in supporting the hospitals and ICU facilities in this country, “said Majur.
She revealed that the National Taskforce for the COVID-19 pandemic had already embarked on the distribution plan, assuring the public that the equipment would reach the states at the soonest time possible. He called for the public to be proactive in order to tackle the pandemic.
The Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, Sarah Nene Redento, said that CES had a burden as they hosted all ten state citizens in the capital.
She revealed that the state would soon form the task force in the counties and also within the Juba City Council. She asked the government to encourage COVID-19 tests not only at the airport but also at all the borders.
“This handing over is remarkable because we will have tests at the airport, and at the border. “Not only the airport, your Excellency, but I can see that our border will also have the test so that we will be able to cover the people coming to South Sudan, especially to Juba,” Sarah said.
“Together, we will do more. We are keen on serving our people as a state, and it is our duty to take care of the people of the Republic of South Sudan who are here in Central Equatoria State. And we are happy to be the hosts of the Presidency and the host of the country. “
The AU Ambassador, Dr Joram Mukama Biswaro, advised that the equipment should be used not only for the benefit of the South Sudanese but in the broader spectrum of Africa as a whole. He called for the equipment to be taken to the countryside, like villages and borders.
He called on the Presidency to play a key role in the implementation of Chapter 2 of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which he said was the backbone of the 2018 agreement.
However, the Nigerian Ambassador to South Sudan, Ibim Charles Nkem, disclosed that the Afrexim Bank was willing to support South Sudan on critical projects. He called for Africans to empower themselves by starting to produce their own vaccines.
He said that although people had different perceptions of Nigeria, business-wise, he boasted that Nigeria had proved itself supportive through Afrexim Bank.
Rak Media founded
Rak Media Group was founded in 2009 and first operated in Kololo, Juba, as a small-sized local business before blossoming into a fully-fledged giant. Rak Media has been at the frontline of fighting the pandemic since its announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO). Rak Media has been conducting road shows, radio and TV programs that educate the masses about the virus and various safety measures to curb its spread. Rak Media is recognized as the first company to produce homemade masks and has supplied over 100,000 masks made of clothes to its partners.
“To support the needy and the disadvantaged in the community during the harsh economic times, RMG donated food, books, facemasks, and clothes to Concern for Women and Children, Ministry of Health, DMI Sisters, Juba Orphanage, and Straight Link Orphanage,” Gitari said.
“We also stitched over 100,000 reusable face masks that were sold to the public at a subsidized price. We remain steadfast in fighting this pandemic together with our little resources. We can help with communication and ensure the message reaches the communities. “
It further donated thermometers, gloves, hand sanitisers, spray pumps, and hospital beds in an effort to boost South Sudan’s capacity to curb the pandemic and stop its spread.
“RMG also donated essential COVID-19 equipment to the National Taskforce, including thermometers, gloves, hand sanitisers, spray pumps, and hospital beds. This was to boost the capacity of the country to combat the virus and contain its spread, ” he added.
With its tireless support, RAK Media has been helping vulnerable women and children with donated food, books, facemasks, and clothes. It has also helped the Ministry of Health, DMI Sisters, Juba Orphanage, and Straight Link Orphanage, to name but a few.
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