Sino Group and its philanthropic arm, the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (NTFCF), are stepping up support for children and the elderly in combating COVID-19. The Group and NTFCF are donating 20,000 oximeters to residential care homes and elderly living alone in collaboration with its community partners, including the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council (HKSKHWC), Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, Caritas Social Work Division and Sik Sik Yuen Social Services Coordination Office. Distribution is slated for the week of 14 March 2022.
Among the 20,000 oximeters, 3,000 will be distributed by the HKSKHWC to nine elderly homes and three rehabilitation centres it supports as well as private elderly homes that they work with. The Group and NTFCF are also donating HK$1 million to HKSKHWC to support the operational needs of elderly homes and rehabilitation centres under its auspices.
Oximeter is a handy medical device measuring the user’s blood oxygen level and pulse rate, which are important physiological parameters for health assessment. It is useful for detecting irregularities in respiratory cycles and early signs of deterioration for prompt medical care.
Additionally, the Group and NTFCF are distributing 250,000 child-sized masks to children from underprivileged families and ethnic minorities in collaboration with community partners including the Hong Kong Islamic Youth Association, the Pakistan Islamic Welfare Union, the Hong Kong Nepalese Federation and Society for Community Organization.
Mr Daryl Ng, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group and Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, remarks, ‘The health and well-being of children and the elderly have been significantly affected by the pandemic, and the elderly segment is particularly vulnerable with the lowest vaccination rate. The oximeter is a useful monitoring tool providing valuable information on health conditions, enabling earlier identification of irregularities and more timely medical care for elderly residents and saving lives. It is a convenient device that allows elderly users to monitor their oxygen levels many times a day if they are feeling unwell. Blessings to Hong Kong.’
The Group is committed to supporting the community in combating the unprecedented pandemic. In addition to donating more than 280,000 rapid antigen test kits, 500 remote monitoring systems to residential care homes and essential supplies to the less-resourced, the Group seeks to help alleviate the stress on the public health system by donating to the Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital to support paediatric services, and converting a Sino Group hotel into community isolation facilities for patients with no or mild symptoms through the CIF Hotel Scheme. Other supports include providing short-term accommodation for DSE candidates and families living in subdivided units, which are not suitable for quarantine, providing a series of online learning courses with the Ocean Park for 10,000 children from underprivileged families about marine biodiversity while they stay at home
