Stanbic Bank together with 10 other companies including MTN Uganda and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) have donated gift humpers to workers of Kawempe National Referral Hospital in appreciation for their efforts to save lives of mothers and babies.
Kawempe hospital which is Uganda’s largest maternal health facility, currently employs 655 personnel including 125 medical interns, 50 cleaners, 40 security guards, 90 Senior Health Officials and 360 support staff.
Each one of them received a gift hamper containing an assortment of items including soap, cooking oil, baking flour, snacks, petroleum jelly, bread, spaghetti, beverages and rice.
The items were courtesy of a collaborative effort by a legion of corporate brands led by Stanbic Bank. The others were MTN Uganda, Bakhresa, Bidco, Kakira, SupaLoaf, Crown Beverages, Movit and Harris International (Riham).
At the same event, UCC handed over an electric CPAP and five parameter monitors while Stanbic Bank handed over a Bubble CPAP machine which provides respiratory support to neonatal patients.
Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Anne Juuko said, “As the rest of us prepare to break off work for the Christmas holiday, most of our health workers will stay on duty serving through the festive season just as they have done across the year—this is an appreciation gesture for all healthcare workers across Uganda, thank you.”
Safe motherhood Campaign
Kawempe Referral Hospital receives over 4000 pregnant women from all over the country every month and delivers an average of 100 babies per day. Many of the women are from low-income households often unable to afford the best amenities required for safe deliveries.
As part of its Corporate Social Investment, Stanbic Bank initiated the ‘Every Mother and Baby Counts’ campaign in line with goal number three of accelerating the decline of maternal mortality by 2030 under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“Three years since we launched this campaign, it is a pleasure to see that like-minded brands that take their corporate social responsibility to society seriously, both in the public and private sector have joined us to further this noble cause,” added Juuko.
The UCC Executive Director, Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo said, “we thank Stanbic for leading us in this cause that is well aligned with our corporate social responsibility programmes which hinges on the health sector.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health lauded the private sector brands for promoting the spirit of ‘public-private sector partnerships.’
“We truly appreciate your act of corporate generosity which you have expressed through these gift-hampers to our staff at Kawempe hospital—it is a strong gesture of support and recognition of their effort to ensuring both mother and baby leave this facility in good health.
I especially thank Anne Juuko under whose leadership the Stanbic Bank led ‘every mother and baby counts’ campaign gain momentum over the last three years. It gives us much pleasure seeing many corporate entities here today, to further a cause that has put a smile on so many faces of expectant mothers across the year,” said Atwine.