Pretoria – Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Tuesday received, on behalf of the West African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, 17 scooters, helmets and pillion boxes donated by Medscheme.
To date, the disease has claimed the lives of more than 5 000 people.
The donation of the scooters was in response to the Minister’s call for the private sector to support the Ebola Response Fund.
The scooters were presented to the Health Minister by Dr Anna Mokgokong, Chairperson of AfroCentric Health, at an event held in Centurion.
Minister Motsoaledi said the scooters will aid in mobility in the rural areas.
“We are proud that South African companies such as Medscheme are taking the lead in responding to our call to support the Ebola Response Fund. This crisis is an opportunity for all Africans to unite and get involved in helping Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to deal with this major challenge.
“Health systems in Africa must be strengthened. Each and every country must have a health system that is ready. This is our crisis as citizens of the African continent, we are one, we are all Africans,” he said, adding that it was time for all Africans to support each other.
With regard to South Africa, Minister Motsoaledi said if there was an Ebola outbreak, the country stood ready to deal with it.
“We have specialists who can deal with the disease,” he said.
Presenting the scooters, Dr Mokgokong said the company felt there was a need to respond to the call by the Minister.
“Our contribution is aimed at improving access and transportation of medical supplies to communities affected by Ebola, enabling medical samples and supplies to now easily reach the rural communities.
“We are all concerned about the impact of Ebola in West Africa, and as a responsible company, we commend our government for spearheading South Africa’s efforts in providing relief to the worst affected communities,” she said.
Medscheme is a wholly owned subsidiary of Afrocentric Health Limited and part of JSE listed AfroCentric Investment Corporation. The company is the largest health risk management services provider and among the leading medical scheme administrators in South Africa, with over three million lives under management.
Its clients include two of the country’s largest open medical schemes, Bonitas and Fedhealth, as well as several closed schemes. – SAnews.gov.za
