INSEE steps up COVID response program

Kandy General Hospital Director Dr. S.A.A.N. Jayasekera, Deputy Director Dr. Iresha Fernando and Team INSEE was present for this donation​

The donation was handed over to NHSL MICU Consultant Intensivist Dr. Dilshan Priyankara and MICU Sister incharge

INSEE Cement has boosted its COVID response program over the past couple of months to help the nation to cope with the severe ongoing wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Through its CSR and sustainability team, the company has been engaged in five separate initiatives to provide relief to COVID patients and the frontline medical teams working around the clock to save lives. These projects include the donation of medical equipment, helping to make new beds available, providing cement for the building and expansion of various hospitals and the donation of a sizeable consignment of masks and hand sanitisers to both provincial authorities and the national government.

Discussing the initiatives, INSEE Cement Chief Executive Officer Gustavo Navarro said, “Having monitored the ground situation closely, we realised early on that the country would face considerable challenges, particularly with the emergence of the delta variant. Our position as the market leader and only integrated manufacturer of cement in Sri Lanka meant that we had a moral obligation and sincere desire to provide relief and support when and where it was possible for us to do so. 

“One way we could substantially contribute was through the donation of cement for the building of new facilities and the expansion of existing ones, which we have done. In fact, we contributed many truckloads of cement bags, and supported with expertise towards building new COVID wards in multiple hospitals which is a feat we are very proud of. We have also gone the extra mile to donate equipment and consumables to hospitals and the Government. We have achieved all of this during 2021, on top of the initiatives we undertook in 2020 and we intend to continue to support the national fight against COVID to the best of our ability.”

Efforts by INSEE Cement, as part of its COVID response initiative, include the donation of multiple oxygen infusion pumps, which are crucial in the management of patients suffering from COVID. In addition to this, the INSEE Cement has provided 50 medical beds to the Puttalam Base Hospital COVID Ward, as part of its ongoing and long running community development plan focused on the Puttalam region, where one of INSEE’s plants is located. 

Furthermore, premium Sanstha Cement was donated to the National Hospital of Kandy to support their effort to build a 150-bed ward, within just 10 days, specifically for patients recovering. Additionally, Sanstha Cement was donated to the National Hospital for Respiratory Diseases in Welisara, Ragama; to the Colombo South Hospital; to the Divulapitiya Base Hospital. Most recently, INSEE Cement has taken steps to donate 35,000 facemasks and 1,000 bottles of hand sanitisers to Provincial Governments, along with 15,000 face masks and 250 bottles of hand sanitisers to the Central Government. 

INSEE Cement Executive Vice President – Sales, Marketing and Innovations Jan Kunigk also commented, “As a responsible corporate citizen, driven by a core ethos of ‘Build for Life’, INSEE’s many ongoing social and environmental development, conservation and restoration programs are contributing to uplifting the lives of Sri Lankans and protecting the nation’s natural resources. The company is also a leader in innovation and collaborative progress, taking an active role in developing the standards of Sri Lanka’s cement industry and continuously pushing the envelope in terms of the capabilities and quality of its entire product range.”