The highly popular short video platform TikTok on Wednesday announced that it will be donating medical equipment worth Rs 100 crore to India. In an official release, the company said that it is donating 4 lakh hazmat protective suits and masks to India to help fight COVID-19. In a release, the company stated that the gear will be handed over to the Union Ministry of Health. Additionally, the company’s donation also covers local and state-level medical workers, as it has donated 2,00,000 masks to the state governments in Delhi and Maharashtra as well.
“While citizens are practising social distancing and staying at home as a preventive measure, India's medical personnel are working tirelessly to keep all of us safe and protected. As a result, our medical doctors and health workers are the most vulnerable and exposed to the virus.”
“As a responsible organization committed to the safety and security of citizens in India, we are open to extending further support by way of additional donations in the coming time,” the company stated in an official release.
Earlier, TikTok President Alex Zhu announced in a blogpost that the company is donating $10 million to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Solidarity Response Fund on COVID-19. “This fund helps the WHO carry out vitally important work, including sending essential supplies to front line health care workers, ensuring communities have access to the latest science-based information, and accelerating efforts to discover life-saving treatments or vaccines. Alongside many great companies and individuals, we're passionate about doing our small part to contribute to this important cause and the critical work the fund enables,” Zhu had said.
He had also added that the company is matching employee donations to a range of local and global initiatives, including WHO, Red Cross, and a number of direct relief programs across the world.
As of Wednesday, the number of COVID-19 cases across the world crossed 8,50,000. USA and Italy showed an increase of 24,742 cases and 4,053 cases respectively. In India, over 1,600 cases have been reported, with the death toll currently at 38.