UKZN helps Source Generous Donation of Masks for SA Medical Students

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UKZN was among the Higher Education Institutions in South Africa which benefitted from a Solidarity Fund donation of hundreds of thousands of masks for final-year Medical students who recently returned to campuses to resume studies after the easing of the national lockdown restrictions.

The fund was approached by the Dean of Clinical Medicine at UKZN, Professor Ncoza Dlova, supported by members of the Final Year Student Committee who helped identify possible Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donors to supply masks to all universities in the country offering medical training.

Dlova, who acted on behalf of the Committee of Medical Deans (SACOMD), managed to acquire between 90 000 and 100 000 masks for each university.

Donors who supplied the masks included Gift of the Givers, Investec, the UKZN Foundation, the Solidarity Fund, PPS, Sanlam and UKZN’s School of Clinical Medicine.

‘On behalf of UKZN’s Medical programme, we would like to thank each and every one who made a generous donation to assist Medical students during this challenging period,’ said Principal Programme Officer at UKZN’s Medical School, Miss Khwezi Khanyile. ‘The masks are playing a vital role in limiting the risk of students being exposed to the coronavirus.’

• The mandate of South African Government’s Solidarity Fund is to support the national health response, contribute to humanitarian relief efforts and to mobilise South Africans to drive a united response to COVID-19.

Words: Lihle Sosibo

Photograph: Supplied