The SM Group said it will allocate at least P100 million to help various government hospitals in their fight against the coronavirus disease 2019.
It said in a statement the amount would be used towards providing urgently needed personal protective equipment, COVID-19 test kits, alcohol and other medical supplies to the Philippine General Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and other hospitals.
This will also increase free testing capacity and ensure the safety of medical frontliners.
SM reached out to Manila Healthtek Inc., the producer of the local test kits developed by the UP-NIH team, to distribute 20,000 tests for free to government hospitals, once approved for use. SM is also working with both PGH and RITM to see how to expand laboratory testing capacity.
“As there is a local shortage of personal protective equipment”•face masks, gowns, visors, hoods, gloves and shoe covers, SM is bringing these PPEs in for government hospitals who badly need them,” the group said.