Sterling Bank Plc has launched a N1 billion Health Workers’ Fund to support healthcare professionals who are taking care of persons infected with the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
To kick-start the fund, the bank donated N25 million while some public-spirited individuals have also donated N2 million, bringing the amount raised so far to N27 million.
The bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Suleiman, who made this known over the weekend while addressing a virtual press conference hosted by the bank, urged Nigerians to contribute to the fund through the website of Giving.ng, a crowdfunding platform.
Citing the high rate of cases of healthcare workers infected by the virus while treating patients in countries, such as Spain and Italy, Suleiman said it is imperative that tangible efforts are made to protect the healthcare personnel at the frontline of fighting the infection, especially given their low number in the country.
“There was a particular point in Spain when 14 percent of those infected were healthcare workers, and we felt that if we were to have that level of infection among the limited number of healthcare workers in the country, the effect would be far-reaching and disastrous. So, we decided to intervene.”
According to Suleiman, the bank understands that getting the money with which to pay healthcare workers on the frontline and acquire protection equipment for them is critical.