Standard Chartered donates USD 500,000 to combat Covid-19 | Sunday Observer

Standard Chartered donates USD 500,000 to combat Covid-19

6 September, 2020
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa symbolically accepting the donation from Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (3rd left), in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (left), Major General Suresh Sallay, Director of State Intelligence Service (second left), Major General Dr.SanjeewaMunasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health (third right) and Anuk De Silva, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (right).
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa symbolically accepting the donation from Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (3rd left), in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (left), Major General Suresh Sallay, Director of State Intelligence Service (second left), Major General Dr.SanjeewaMunasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health (third right) and Anuk De Silva, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka (right).

Standard Chartered Sri Lanka donated USD500,000 (approximately Rs. 92.5 million) to support the fight against Covid-19 in the local community. The donation, which will flow through the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), is in keeping with its brand promise to be ‘Here for good’ and is part of the Bank’s wider response to the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The funding is made up of two parts: USD300,000 from Standard Chartered PLC will support emergency relief activities that target the control and containment of coronavirus, precaution against infection, and public awareness to combat misinformation on Covid-19.

These funds are part of the Group’s USD5 million donation to Red Cross to support urgent medical and humanitarian support in countries across Africa and Asiafrom its USD50 million Covid-19 Global Charitable Fund; and USD200,000 from Standard Chartered Sri Lankafor the procurement of approximately 13,000 Covid-19 testing kits to assist in identifying suspected patients of the virus.

Bingumal Thewarathanthri, CEO, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka said: “Standard Chartered Sri Lanka is proud to be able to contribute to the fight against Covid-19 in Sri Lanka and we are glad to partner with Red Cross programs that reach the most vulnerable people in our communities. By working together, we are able to support the delivery of rapid and effective relief that aims to address some of the current and futurechallenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to supporting our communities at this time of need, we have also gone an extra mile in contributing to the country’s economy in a holistic fashion in the wake of this pandemic.”

Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General at the SLRCS said: “Thanks to the generosity extended by Standard Chartered, we will be able to enhance the testing capacity of the country, which is vital to help keep people safe from Covid-19.

It will also enable us to increase a plethora of coronavirus prevention activities including supporting safe environments for schoolchildren and raising awareness island-wide to combat the epidemic. We will continue supporting people most at risk in Sri Lanka, working alongside authorities in the face of this devastating Covid-19 pandemic.”

Standard Chartered Group has put in place a range of measures to support clients and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its USD 50 million Covid-19 Global Charitable Fund commits USD 25 million for immediate emergency relief.

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