Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) announced on Thursday it has to date produced 23 000 face shields and donated thousands of these face shields to the KwaZulu-Natal health sector, dealers, suppliers, as well to its staff.
This is part of TSAM’s bid to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The first external benefactor was Prince Mshiyeni Hospital in Umlazi, Durban, receiving 900 face shields in April, while a further 10 000 units will be delivered to other hospitals and clinics during the month of May.
“We have long expressed that as an organisation, we are first and foremost a corporate citizen, and our motivation to build and supply face shields to the regional health sector of KwaZulu-Natal stems from the values we hold dearly concerning respect for people, as well as the desire to make a difference in our communities,” said Andrew Kirby, CEO of TSAM.
“We hope that the personal protective equipment (PPE) donated will help ease the pressure on the overall market for these products, so that there is enough supply for all sectors in the region.”
When the South African government announced it was relaxing lockdown regulations to Level 4 in May, TSAM made arrangements to supply a further 4 000 face shields to its local suppliers – while the Toyota dealer network, as well as Toyota staff, received a total of 8 100 units.
A further 10 000 units will be provided to 10 hospitals and clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, including Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Addington Hospital and King Edward Hospital.
