By Staff Reporter

Isuzu Motors South Africa was one of the early responders to the call for support in the brave fight against Covid-19. Isuzu dispatched its grounded media fleet to charities that were in the forefront of the Covid-19 battle. Recently, Isuzu helped refurbish two hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay to help secure the metro’s readiness for a potential Covid-19 crisis in that part of the country. Isuzu has doubled down on its efforts by committing its marketing fleet to the Covid-19 pandemic through a partnership with WesBank and supported by FirstRand’s South African Pandemic Intervention and Relief Effort (SPIRE) which has seen its marketing fleet deployed to the trenches.

D-Max Bakkies for Covid-19 fight

Isuzu delivered 15 Isuzu D-MAX bakkies to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria which will be used to assist with the transportation of personal protective equipment and medical supplies to support South African community health workers in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This intervention was facilitated by WesBank and supported the SPIRE initiative.

Under normal circumstances, these Isuzu bakkies would have been used for marketing and promotional purposes, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown period, the bakkies were idle, explained Craig Uren, Isuzu Senior Vice President, Vehicles, Sales, Service and Marketing.  “We are therefore very pleased that these vehicles can be utilised by the University to undertake its critically important and value adding work.  We pride ourselves in providing transport solutions and being a trusted partner in getting a job done and more so, to be a beneficial partner during times of crises and disaster,” said Uren.

 “During this time of crisis, we strongly believe that it is important that in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders we all rally together to do what’s in the best interests of the country and our people as a whole,” said Uren.

Support for medical structures and resources in the country

Professor Jannie Hugo, Head of Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, said the partnership with Isuzu for this period will extend their reach and allow mobile versatility to ensure effective intervention across all communities.

“For the next few weeks the University will specifically focus on supporting the medical structures and resources in the country,” said Hugo.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria has been at the forefront of helping South Africa fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The faculty is currently involved in approximately 30 projects to support COVID-19 efforts.  “We appreciate Isuzu’s contribution towards helping us make a greater impact during this pandemic. It is through these collaborative efforts that we can help and support communities,” said Professor Tiaan de Jager, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria.

Uren said the support given to the University of Pretoria forms part of the company’s strategic social responsibility objectives, which is to provide critical logistics support during crisis situations.

“Isuzu forges strategic partnerships to bring sustainable solutions and meaningful change to the communities of South Africa, our vehicles are strong and can handle heavy loads, they are also able to access the most challenging terrain. We believe they will play a huge role in ensuring the transportation of any goods that are needed during these trying times,” said Uren. Source: Isuzu Motors South Africa