Beximco donates medical aid worth Tk 150m

The Beximco Group has started distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medicines, test kits for diagnosis and protecting the health care workers dealing with the COVID-19 patients.

Beximco Group’s pharmaceutical division, Beximco Pharma, has started distributing the equipment, says a press release.

Beximco Pharma’s managing director Nazmul Hassan handed over the first consignment of the equipment to representatives of the government designated hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients at a local hotel on Saturday.

UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo, Infectious Diseases Division of icddr,b’s senior director Allen Ross, WHO representative in Bangladesh Bardan Jung Rana, CDC country director Michael Friedman, IEDCR director , Meerjady Sabrina Flora, and Bangladesh Society of Medicine’s general secretary Ahmedul Kabir were also present on this occasion.

Beximco Group has contributed Tk 150 million (US$1.8 million) to support this initiative.

Beximco Group chairman ASF Rahman said the group is always committed to extending support to any national emergency.

“As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates, affecting almost every country around the world, we are also facing an unprecedented challenge to cope with the impact of this pandemic.”

“Ensuring access to personal protective equipment is a top priority right now, and we are proud to be responding to this need to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. We, as a responsible business group, will continue to provide our wholehearted support to the government in facing this enormous crisis,” said ASF Rahman.

In the second phase Beximco Pharma will expand distribution of these PPE nationwide to more than 150 leading hospitals.

Beximco, guided by its strong CSR policy, is actively involved in various initiatives and support programmes in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak in the country.

Beximco Group vice-chairman Salman F Rahman, who is also private industry and investment adviser to the prime minister, said the corporates of Bangladesh are acutely aware of their social responsibilities and have always joined the national efforts to tackle any crisis.

Referring to the prime minister’s speech stating this fight against coronavirus as a war and testing time for humanity, Salman said, “It has to be fought on all fronts involving both private and public sectors.”

“I believe that the initiative of Beximco Group will inspire other entities, large and small, in Bangladesh to come forward in helping the government tackle this crisis,” said the adviser to the prime minister.

Managing director, Beximco Pharma Nazmul Hassan, said during this time of global crisis, Bangladesh urgently needs a supply of medicines for treatment, test kits for diagnosis and PPE for protecting the frontline health care workers dealing with the COVID-19 patients every day.

According to the press release, Beximco Pharma will distribute PPE, which includes very high-quality imported ‘TYVEK Protective Coveralls’ (protective gowns), face masks, gloves, protective goggles etc. in two phases.

In the first phase, the company will distribute sufficient numbers of PPEs to two testing centres - IEDCR and icddr,b, and other government designated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment.