The SM Group has pledged P100 million for efforts to battle the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines.
In the statement, the group said the amount would go toward providing personal protective equipment (PPEs), test kits, alcohol, and other medical supplies to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and other hospitals.
"As there is a local shortage of personal protective equipment - face masks, gowns, visors, hoods, gloves, and shoe covers, SM is bringing these PPEs in for government hospitals who badly need them," it said.
SM said it has reached out to Manila Healthtek, Inc., the spinoff corporation that will manufacture local test kits developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health researchers, to distribute 20,000 tests for free to government hospitals. The test kits are currently undergoing field testing.
SM said it is also working with PGH and RITM to see how to expand laboratory testing capacity.
"To provide PPEs and medical supplies to an even wider network of hospitals, SM has also been working actively with UP Medical Foundation Inc. to reach their network of hospitals," it said. --JST, GMA News
SOURCE: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/729955/sm-group-pledges-p100-million-for-covid-19-supplies-kits/story/
