This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Published on August 6, 2020, Safaricom has announced that it will continue providing free data, airtime, and short text messages to frontline health workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The offer, which was initially set to run between April and June 2020, has been extended for another three months.
Under the extended offer, each of the 5,529 frontline health workers identified by the Ministry of Health will receive 12GB of data, 600 minutes of airtime, and 2,000 short text messages (SMSs) monthly.
According to Dr. Rashid Abdi, Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Health, the resources provided by Safaricom will enable the frontline teams to boost their containment capabilities.
As part of its efforts to support the health workers, Safaricom has so far invested over KSh 42 million through its foundations to provide personal protective equipment to health teams across the country.
Joseph Ogutu, Safaricom's Chief Special Projects Officer, stated that the firm and nation are behind the health workers as they continue playing a crucial role in managing the pandemic.
Additionally, Samsung Electronics East Africa has joined the Safaricom initiative by donating 500 Samsung Galaxy A2 Core smartphones worth KSh 3.8 million to assist the communication, monitoring, and movement of testing and healthcare workers.
