Rishard Khan
One of the largest conglomerates in the country, ANSA McAL announced that it would offer COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to all 6,000 of its employees and their immediate families as soon as the vaccines were available, in a campaign with the theme “ANSA McAL VacciNat on Initiative”.
In a statement released on Friday, the company said it believes that the private sector has a role to play in supporting government measures to bring the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of all citizens who wish it.
The company encouraged others in the private sector to follow suit, the country would be better off with that.
“If other members of the private sector, in turn, commit to doing the same to their own population of employees, the shared burden of responsibility would mean that the country and the region would recover much faster,” he said.
The group said that it intends to collaborate and establish partnerships with the Ministries of Health of the territories in which it operates. This is because, at the moment, COVID-19 vaccines can only be purchased through official government channels.
The conglomerate said that if the opportunity to purchase vaccines on its own comes up, it will take advantage of it.
“We consider the availability and application of vaccination a priority to protect the population in general and essential for the recovery of our region’s economies. Therefore, if the opportunity presents itself in the future to supply WHO-approved vaccines on the open market through renowned pharmaceutical companies, ANSA McAL will try to do so, ”she said in a subsequent launch.
The vaccination of its employees is based on the public awareness campaign COVID-19 in progress by ANSA McAL, entitled: “A small dose of hope”. The aim is to inform and educate the general population about the need to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to combat “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 present itself and contribute to the eradication of this unprecedented contagion in public health, which has had an adverse social and economic impact on the countries in the region. As a local regional conglomerate with a 140-year history and a commitment to serving the region in all sectors, we have a duty to do our part, sharing the burden of responsibility with the public sector, for the benefit of the Caribbean region, its citizens and our communities. ”Said the statement.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Planning and Development, Allyson West, announced the Program to Support Vulnerable Populations Affected by Coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago (SUVPAC).
The agreement signed with the Inter-American Development Bank on Tuesday will have US $ 24.45 million invested “in the urgent execution of the COVID-19 management measures aimed at guaranteeing minimum levels of quality of life for vulnerable people in the midst of pandemic crisis in Trinidad and Tobago. “
In a statement, Minister West said: “This agreement will support the minimum income for those affected by the coronavirus in the immediate period and during the recovery. The agreement does not provide for Trinidad and Tobago to take on additional debt, but instead redirects existing uncommitted loan resources to new and urgent areas of high priority public investment that require funding during this critical period. “