Novartis Egypt, Health Ministry collaborate in COVID-19 fight

Novartis Egypt announced on Tuesday its collaboration with the Ministry of Health on a range of initiatives supporting the ongoing fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As part of its partnership with the ministry, Novartis is funding the provision of essential personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals.

This includes the full range of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gowns, goggles, glasses, face shields, head covers, and diagnostic PCR kits for coronavirus tests.

The fund, valued at EGP 6.5m, will be managed by the Ministry of Health to ensure that support is directed towards government healthcare professionals and facilities most in need.

Novartis had also collaborated with the ministry to run Egypt’s first coronavirus awareness seminar in March. The seminar brought together over 5,600 multi-specialty doctors to discuss the latest developments in the coronavirus’ containment and treatment.

Further national awareness webinars are also in the pipeline, to ensure access to the webinars for the majority of healthcare professionals in Egypt.

“As a global healthcare company, we are deeply committed to supporting the fight against COVID-19 on all fronts,” said Georg Schroeckenfuchs, MEA Cluster Head and Vice President Egypt, in a statement. “Our immediate primary concern remains protection and prevention of the spread of the virus, as we work alongside global experts to develop more definitive long-term solutions. We are working closely with the Egyptian government to help address the most pressing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Schroeckenfuchs added, “In line with our [Novartis’s] social responsibility to help control and limit the spread of this pandemic, the health and safety of our associates and patients is paramount. Throughout this period, we will ensure business continuity and availability of our medicines to all patients in Egypt.”

Moreover, the company will be hosting a range of medical webinars for Middle East and Africa healthcare professionals. This will act as a means for them to learn about the experiences of China, Germany and Italy, in dealing with the pandemic.

Novartis has also committed to providing 130 million doses globally of the anti-viral hydroxychloroquine. This comes in addition to implementing clinical trials for several medicines that may come part of the coronavirus treatment protocol.

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