MJF to donate a day’s salary to Gonoshasthaya

Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), a non-government and non-profit organisation, will donate one day's salary of its employees to Gonoshasthaya Kendra, in an effort to help the healthcare centre produce coronavirus-detection kits.

"We will donate salary worth around Tk 5 lakh to Gonoshasthaya Kendra soon," said MJF Coordinator Shahana Huda Ranjana yesterday. She told The Daily Star that the decision was taken to initially tackle the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Earlier, founder and trustee of Gonoshasthaya Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury told this newspaper that they could make 10,000 testing kits in a month -- first 10,000 within a week. They also have a plan to produce five lakh or more kits in a month which requires Tk 20 crore on an emergency basis.

In light of that, MJF took the decision to donate the money to the healthcare centre.

The MJF official said her organisation would also distribute necessary items including hand sanitisers in more than 215 upazilas under the supervision of its 141 co-organisations.

A team of Gonoshasthaya-RNA Biotech Limited, a sister concern of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, claimed to have developed an affordable kit that can detect novel coronavirus infection in 15 minutes. They got the government approval to import raw materials which are scheduled to arrive from the UK today.