South African Aerospace and Technology Company Furthers Its Commitment to Supporting Health Workers on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Crisis
Paramount Group, Africa’s leading aerospace and technology company, is pleased to demonstrate its support for Gauteng’s MEC of Health and Department of Health by donating 1,000 facial visors to frontline healthcare workers and sponsoring the Gauteng Awards celebrating health workers and organisations that have made a significant contribution to the province’s fight against the coronavirus.
The company will further announce the launch of the Heroes for Health Prize in a move that will celebrate health workers and ordinary South Africans who played an exceptional role in improving the health and wellbeing of their fellow citizens. The Prize will be awarded on a quarterly basis.
Recipients of the Gauteng Health Awards include, however are not limited to, Professor Feroza Motara of the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, the developer of the ‘Intubox’ which is produced by Paramount Group, a protective enclosure around the head and chest of patients, helping to limit contact with patients during intubation, extubation and aerolising procedures.
When the pandemic first reached the African continent, Paramount Group rapidly transformed its operations, shifting from manufacturing aerospace technologies to medical protective gear to help protect doctors, nurses, police and soldiers on South Africa’s frontline.
From its manufacturing facilities to the deployment of its highly-skilled engineers and technicians, to the CO2 laser-cutting production of intuboxes and innovative facial-visors, and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Department of Health, Steve Biko Hospital, Kalefong Hospital, Linksfield Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital, SANDF, SA Police Services, as but examples, Paramount Group has made available all of its resources to bolster the country’s response to the outbreak.
Eric Ichikowitz, Senior Vice President of Paramount Group, stated: “The COVID-19 crisis has tested the resiliency of our communities, our spirits and our hopes for a brighter future for South Africa. We are privileged to play a lead role in supporting and thanking those who have put their personal welfare aside for the sake of our citizens’ health and safety. Paramount Group will continue manufacturing and distributing the personal protective equipment (PPE) we have donated today, and we are committed to adopting and deploying new and exciting technological innovations moving forward to ensure our country’s future is safeguarded”.
The company has additionally provided food relief to the Embassies of Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia respectively as part of its efforts to support neighboring Sub Saharan African countries afflicted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including their citizens currently struggling and stranded in South Africa.
South Africa has recently reported record new daily coronavirus infections. The country has the most cases in Africa to-date, with more than 159,000.
The Gauteng province in particular hit a milestone of 42,881 coronavirus infections as of July 1st, with Gauteng’s Health MEC, Dr. Bandile Masuku, projecting that the number of coronavirus cases in the province alone may increase dramatically over the next few months, exceeding 120,000 cases by the end of July.