Several hospitals in the Klang Valley will benefit from over RM1.5 million worth of hospital beds, oxygen tanks and monitors following a collaborative effort to raise the amount by IDEAS Community Projects and Projek Bangsa Malaysia, with the support of OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad (OCBC Al-Amin).

OCBC Al-Amin kick-started the Hospital Emergency Fund effort with a RM50,000 contribution that IDEAS Community Projects, alongside its partner organisation Projek Bangsa Malaysia, built on to raise the remainder.

The RM50,000 contribution from OCBC Al-Amin comprised a corporate contribution through its Kota Damansara branch and personal contributions from the Bank staff, led by OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad CEO Dato' Ong Eng Bin and OCBC Al-Amin CEO Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik. The other funds came from thousands of donors who came forward with contributions from as little as RM5.

According to IDEAS Chairman Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin the contribution from OCBC Al-Amin alone enables them to bring a total of 15 monitoring sets, 15 oxygen tanks and 30 canvas beds to front-liners in the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley.

"The first-hand accounts by front-liners moved everyone who heard them, and while many efforts were already underway for communities in need, we thought a particular effort for hospital equipment would help ensure doctors and nurses can continue to save lives.

"The collaborative effort with OCBC Al-Amin was vital for the benefit of the medical personnel and ultimately those seeking treatment at the Hospitals as well," he said.

He added that IDEAS Community Projects was grateful to the OCBC Al-Amin Kota Damansara branch for taking up the request to come in as a kick-starter sponsor along with the support of both the CEOs of OCBC Bank and OCBC Al-Amin and the wider network of staff as well.

"Their support set the tone for the contributions we went on to receive," he said.

Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz said the Bank continues to strive to be more involved in the localities in which it operates and to become even more engaged in the community, going beyond simply providing superior banking products and services to meeting the social needs of the people as well.

"The social and economic effects of the global pandemic have been significant for many and so we wanted to reach out to support those who are most in need. We would also like to thank IDEAS Community Projects for sharing with us the privilege of helping in this meaningful project. Having worked with IDEAS Community Projects on their efforts to help people with autism before we know this effort is in very good hands," he said.