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NISSAN GROUP OF AFRICA AND WITS JOIN HANDS AGAINST THE COVID-19 BATTLE
Date: 21 Apr 2020 |
Author Type: Press Release |
Author: Nissan South Africa |
Source: Nissan South Africa |
Supporting the Department of Health’s screening programme in Tshwane
ROSSLYN,
Pretoria, 17 April 2020 – Nissan Group of Africa joined forces with the University
of Witwatersrand Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WITS RHI) to support
the Department of Health (DoH)’s COVID-19 screening programme in the City of
Tshwane, in the Gauteng province.
The
company made available 12 Nissan and Datsun sedan vehicles to WITS RHI
employees who will be conducting COVID-19 screening in the communities of
Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Winterveldt and Hammanskraal, as well as other areas
north of the city in the Gauteng province. The programme kicked-off this week
and will run until early May, or for as long as the national government deems
necessary.
“Nissan
Group of Africa is committed to President Ramaphosa’s call to fight this
disease. We adopted the DoH project in Gauteng North as this is where most of
our employees and their families reside, and we believe that a comprehensive
screening programme is key in combating this disease and to offer support to
fellow residents in north Gauteng,” says Shinkichi Izumi, Managing Director of
Nissan Group of Africa.
The
vehicles are branded in DoH, Nissan or Datsun and WITS RHI livery to make them
clearly identifiable to the public and to encourage residents to be screened
and obtain the necessary information and treatment if needed.
“WITS
RHI is funded by the US Government through PEPFAR-Centers of Disease Control
(CDC), and we support the Tshwane Health District to roll out HIV/TB treatment
at grassroots levels in the communities of Tshwane. Joining the fight against
COVID-19 is a logical result of our activities to fight communicable disease,”
adds Dr Gloria Maimela, Director of Health Programmes at WITS RHI.
The
DoH developed a screening schedule, and Nissan and WITS RHI will be using
various community forums to inform the public of screening times and venues.
Nissan is also using its SMS communication system with employees to share valid
information in this regard.
“Even
though our manufacturing plant in Rosslyn is not operational at the moment, we
are busy with various projects to tackle this disease, and we will share more
information in due course. However, the safety of our employees and associates is
a key priority, so our operations will remain closed in line with the lockdown
regime,” says Izumi.