By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: MultiChoice Uganda, the home of great Pay-Tv Entertainment, through its local content flagship channel, Pearl Magic has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth shs281.3 million (US$75,000) to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National COVID-19 Task Force intended for people in high-risk areas and those at the frontline in support towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Colin Asiimwe, Head of Marketing appreciated the government, the medical fraternity, private sector and the general public for their collective efforts towards the fight against COVID-19 in these unprecedented times. He further stressed that MultiChoice Uganda had made previous interventions to support the cause and has another contribution to deliver.
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“Today, the support we bring through this donation comes in the form of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that includes a total of 7,500 KN95 Face Masks and 7,500 Disposable Isolation Gowns, valued at USD75,000 (shs281.3 million). Our core focus in this donation is the delivery of these PPEs to people in areas of the high risk of the virus contagion, in this case, being Kampala which has so far recorded the highest number of deaths and infections,” Asiimwe remarked.
“We shall also focus on medical workers at the frontline. Their need for this equipment is evidenced by available May 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) statistics that illustrate that more than 90,000 health workers globally have been infected with the virus despite being preventable,” he added.
Dorothy Kisaka, the Executive Director, KCCA, applauded MultiChoice Uganda for the highly targeted and very timely contribution, noting, “we are pleased to receive the PPE’s from MultiChoice Uganda, a brand that has operated in the country for a long time and has Ugandans at heart, evidenced by initiatives like this and others like the dedication of a channel, Pearl Magic to air solely Ugandan-only content”.
She further noted that MultiChoice Uganda through Pearl Magic has continued to affect its promise of providing distinguished local content that resonates with Ugandans.
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“I congratulate Pearl Magic upon its 2nd year anniversary as it makes significant strides towards delivering more valuable content for Ugandans. The contribution Pearl Magic has made today towards the safety and well- being of all Ugandans in times like these is a symbol that we are together in this fight,” she said.
Dr. Zalwango Sarah, Ag Medical Services at KCCA said the rise in the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the country requires more strategic and long-term support from partners. This ultimately includes support even to the health workers, some of who have contracted the disease in the course of their life-saving work.
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“Following the ease of the lockdown, Kampala city has become a high-risk area recording the highest number of deaths, therefore, it is important for everyone to wear a mask at all times and efforts to make that possible are welcome,” Dr. Zalwango stated.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues around the globe with more than 40.1 million infections and over 1.11 million reported deaths as at 20th Oct 2020, Uganda has noticeably put up a good fight with more than 7,066 recoveries out of over 10,788 cases. Despite some deaths registered the recognition of Uganda among the top 10 countries in terms of suppressing the COVID-19 virus spread is a green light in the struggle.
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Colin also highlighted MultiChoice’s earlier cash contribution of shs10 million towards the Relief Fund to assist with efforts in the fight against Covid-19 when it had just started the fund-raising drive.
About MultiChoice Uganda
Established in 1994, MultiChoice Uganda has made an estimated US$150 million contribution to the national economy and has spurred rapid growth in the film and video-entertainment sector by commissioning some 10,000 hours of locally-produced content.
Rooted in Ugandan society, MultiChoice Uganda is 100% owned by MultiChoice Africa Holdings. Customers have a choice of five packages delivered via the DStv satellite platform with a total of over 140 channels as well as three packages via the GOtv digital terrestrial (DTT) service.
