The foundation run by renowned businessman Carlos Slim has announced that it will donate 1 billion pesos (US $41 million) for medical resources and public health education to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

The organization said in a press release that the donation will go toward the purchase of medical equipment to treat patients in intensive-care units, such as ventilators, sonograms and video-laryngoscopes, in government hospitals across the country.

The donation will also fund personal protection equipment, or PPE, such as gloves and face masks, sanitation and disinfection operations in public hospitals, improving the country’s diagnostic capacity and restructuring of the health system.

It will also support the Public Education Ministry with its PruebaT (T-Test) online educational platform, by which it can educate children about how to protect themselves and others from spreading the virus.

For customers and employees in essential businesses that must remain open, the donation will fund educational materials about general risk prevention and hygienic practices they can follow both at work and at home.

It will also finance special medical attention for the elderly, people with chronic underlying conditions and pregnant women.

In addition the foundation announced that any employees of Carlos Slim’s companies with symptoms of a respiratory infection, or those who have been confirmed to have the coronavirus or who have had contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19, will be obliged to self-quarantine in their homes.

His companies have also implemented new hygiene policies to prevent transmission of the disease, such as frequent cleaning of work spaces, allowing employees to work at home when possible, and canceling business trips, meetings and other events.

Source: El Universal (sp)