SM Investments Corp. said it has set aside P100 million to support frontliners in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The company said the amount will be used to provide “urgently needed personal protective equipment (PPE), Covid-19 test kits, alcohol, and other medical supplies to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and other hospitals.”
Last week, SM reached out to Manila Healthtek Inc., the producer of the local test kits developed by the University of the Philippines (UP)-NationaI Institutes of Health, to distribute 20,000 tests for free to government hospitals, once approved for use.
The company said it has also been working with both PGH and RITM to see how to expand laboratory testing capacity.
“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.
To provide PPEs and medical supplies to an even wider network of hospitals, it has also been working actively with UP Medical Foundation Inc. to reach their network of hospitals, the company added.
