A worker wearing a protective suit counts masks at Naton Medical Group, a company which makes medical equipment in Beijing, China. Picture: AFP/WANG ZHAO
The lack of personal protective equipment has been a major challenge in a number of countries because of the surge in global demand for surgical masks, gloves, ventilators and other items. The order forms part of a government-led centralised PPE procurement strategy that serves both the public and private healthcare sectors. It is led by the department of health and the Treasury’s office of the chief procurement officer in partnership with Business for SA , which is an alliance of volunteer resources from business bodies, organisations and companies.
To date, close to R1bn has been spent on procuring PPE for SA, funded by among others the Solidarity Fund, Motsepe Foundation, FirstRand’s Spire Fund and Naspers.
I hope the pass the safety checks cause Beijing is known to be shady.