Rishard Khan
ANSA McAL, one of the largest conglomerates in the country, has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines freely to all 6,000 employees and their immediate families as soon as the vaccines become available, with the theme “ANSA McAL VacciNat on Initiative”.
In a release Friday, the company said it believes the private sector should play a role in supporting the government’s measures to get the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of every citizen who wants it.
The company encouraged others in the private sector to follow their example; the country would be better off for it.
“If other members of the private sector in turn commit to doing their own staffing, the shared burden of responsibility will mean that the country and the region will get back on their feet so much faster,” he said.
The group said it intends to work and collaborate with Government Ministries of Health in the areas in which it operates. This was said, according to him, because COVID-19 vaccines can currently only be obtained through official government channels.
The conglomerate said that if it offers the opportunity to obtain vaccines itself, it will use them.
“We regard the availability and uptake of vaccination as a priority to protect the wider population and as essential for the recovery of the economies in our region. Therefore, if the opportunity arises in the future to obtain open-label vaccines through the WHO-approved vaccines through approved pharmaceutical companies, ANSA McAL will try to do so, ”reads a further publication.
The vaccination of its employees builds on ANSA McAL’s ongoing public education awareness campaign, COVID-19, entitled: ‘A small dose of hope.’ It is intended to inform and educate the general public about the need to take the COVID-19 vaccine and to “counteract some of the misleading sources of public domain information that create confusion and uncertainty.”
“We see this as an opportunity for the private sector to act and contribute to eradicating this unprecedented contamination of public health, which has had a detrimental social and economic impact on the countries in the region. As a homemade regional conglomerate with a history of 140 years and a commitment to serve the region in different sectors, we are committed to doing our part to share the burden of responsibilities with the public sector, for the benefit of the Caribbean region and its citizens and our communities. Reads the statement.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Planning and Development Allyson West has announced support for vulnerable populations affected by Coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago (SUVPAC).
In the agreement signed with the Inter-American Development Bank on Tuesday, US $ 24.45 million will be deployed ‘in the urgent implementation of COVID-19 management measures aimed at ensuring the minimum quality of life for vulnerable people amid the crisis that caused the pandemic in Trinidad. and Tobago. ”
Minister West said in a release: ‘This agreement will support the minimum income for those affected by the coronavirus in the immediate period and during recovery. The agreement does not see Trinidad and Tobago incurring additional debt, but diverts existing loans that are not committed to new and urgent high-priority public priority areas that need financing during this critical period. ”