Together as One

    
(17 February 2020, Hong Kong) In addition to an earlier donation of HK$100 million to support frontline medical staff in Wuhan, the Li Ka Shing Foundation has been hard at work sourcing surgical masks and other protective clothing from suppliers around the world. The first batch has just arrived in Hong Kong, and the Foundation will distribute the 250,000 face masks to 13 social welfare organisations and six homes for the elderly.

Q:	Which organisations will receive the masks? How can the public receive these masks?   We believe that through 13 social welfare organisations who have long served Hong Kong will best effect the most efficient plan for fast and fair distribution to those in need. The target beneficiaries include: Low income patients and their caretakers Children with cancer and their parents Persons with disabilities or undergoing rehabilitation Grassroots communities (cleaners, ragpickers, tenants in subdivided flats, elderly in rural areas) Elderly living alone and the volunteers who support them Elderly in nursing homes and their caretakers The names of the organisations will not be disclosed to avoid a strain on their resources.
Q:	The public is having a difficult time finding surgical masks at reasonable prices. When will there be a further distribution of surgical masks?   The global supply of face masks is stabilising. The Government is working hard to source surgical masks and has announced the distribution of masks to underprivileged communities. The Foundation will follow the situation closely and is on standby for further action.
Q:	Protective equipment at the Hospital Authority (HA) is running low. How can you support our local frontline medics?   Demand for high specification protective clothing is quite acute. The Foundation is working hard at sourcing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from all over the world in hope of providing additional support to our frontline healthcare teams. We are following the guidelines provided by HA to ensure that the PPE sourced are in line with HA’s standards and specifications. The first shipment of PPE is purchased with the support of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University in Canada and a gift of N95 medical masks from the UAE is scheduled to arrive this week. Distribution will be coordinated through HA.

About the Li Ka Shing Foundation

The Li Ka Shing Foundation was established in 1980 to work on education, medical services and research initiatives. To date, Mr Li has invested over HK$26 billion across 27 countries and regions, with about 80% of the projects within the Greater China region. In 2006, Mr Li described his philanthropic effort as akin to having another son in the family. He called for a paradigm shift in our Asian culture of giving, through apportioning more of our wealth and means towards social capital so that we could bring forth great hope and promises for the future.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Li Ka Shing Foundation
Jeremy Lau
Email: jeremyl@ckh.com.hk