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Tories complain about project to deliver PPE from Wales to Namibia

26 Aug 2021 3 minute read
First Minister Mark Drakeford

The Tories have complained about a project to deliver £7.2m worth of PPE from Wales to Namibia.

The African country is in the middle of a devastating third wave of Covid-19, and has the worst fatality rate from the deadly virus on the continent.

But Conservative shadow health minister, Russell George MS has said the project, which is backed by the Welsh Government would “raise some eyebrows”.

Clinical equipment, including masks, gowns and hand sanitizer which is not needed by the NHS in Wales is being donated via the Phoenix Project. A further £500,000 grant is being given for oxygen equipment and nurse training.

The Phoenix Project is a partnership between Cardiff University and the University of Namibia working to reduce poverty and promote health and a sustainable environment.

Commenting on the Welsh Labour Government’s announcement it is to give £500k plus £7m worth of PPE to Namibia, Welsh Conservative shadow health minister, Russell George MS said: “As a United Kingdom we should always seek to help those worse off.

“Labour’s decision to spend half a million pounds and send £7m worth of PPE to a country that is often accused of being besieged by corruption will raise some eyebrows at home, particularly when ministers in Cardiff Bay regularly claim resources are stretched and blame the UK Government.

“As we move into the more challenging seasons of autumn and winter, Welsh Government ministers must confirm we have a plentiful supply of PPE in Wales and that the money given to Namibia is guaranteed to be used for the purposes set out, not lost in someone’s back pocket.”

‘Personal plea’ 

Professor Judith Hall, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine and lead of the Phoenix Project, made a personal plea to the Welsh First Minister to help the country, which has the worst Covid fatality rate in Africa and is in “extreme need”.

“I phoned Mark Drakeford and asked: ‘What can the people of Wales do to help?’” said Professor Hall.

“I asked for a donation of PPE from the Welsh Government – and sent him a list of the hundreds of thousands of items the Namibians desperately need to fight Covid. They came back with an incredible donation of millions of pieces of PPE, worth $150 Million Namibian dollars.

“These donations will make a huge and sustainable difference to the people of Namibia and in the short term, thousands of lives will be saved. This is only possible because we have resilient PPE supply chains here in Wales, so we are able to offer much-needed support to our partners in southern Africa.

“The Phoenix Project is delighted to be delivering the PPE donation and managing the oxygen grant on behalf of the Welsh Government.”


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hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

of course they will complain. Normal behaviour is to stuff money into the Swiss bank account of a corrupt president or senior minister and let the common herd in an African country suffer. At least sending loads of PPE will have less of a corrupting effect as I can’t recall ever seeing a fully decorated President wearing more than one mask at a time ! So come off it Mr George, let’s have some real scrutiny instead of this petty posturing.

Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Really? When we have seen the level of corruption from the tory party in the last few years? Read corrupt prime minister or senior minister, this is sort of comment that belongs in the bin with all other tory trash talk

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Is defending the indefensible a pastime of yours ?

John
John
2 years ago

Just when you think they cannot get any worse, the Tories just keep on scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Dynion heb enaid.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

Matt Hancock gave his pub landlord £30M for test tubes that were all scrapped as unusable and Tories moan about £7M aid to a bunch of Kalahari Bushmen?

They have no shame and no morality. An organised spivery, Nye was right.

Last edited 2 years ago by Kerry Davies
Mike
Mike
2 years ago

The unfortunate comments made by Russell George do nothing for the reputation of the political party he represents other than to diminish it in the eyes of the many with his Scrooge like attitude towards those in greatest need.
This is particularly unforgiveable given the recent record of the Conservative covid related cronyism, wasting billions of the nations funds as their personal friends and supporters reaped personal fortunes. His ire should be aimed at those within his own party if he is truly concerned about the expenditure of public money and not on petty political point scoring.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

This man opens his mouth about corruption, days after the Good Law Project win a court hearing, to investigate the funneling of taxpayer cash to Tory held constituencies via the “levelling up fund” worth £4.8 billion. These people have no shame.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-levelling-up-fund-good-law-project-b1907475.html

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

I just realised that he is effectively accusing Professor Hall, the Phoenix Project and Cardiif University of corruption since it is they who will manage the spending of the cash.
They should sue the trousers off the man.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Why did he not open his mouth when we were giving England millions in PPE, only to receive a fraction of it back, didn’t seem to concern him then, so why now.?

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-07-17/wales-gave-england-more-than-10-million-items-of-ppe-during-coronavirus-pandemic

Huw
Huw
2 years ago

Having visited Namibia on business, I think that there are many other countries that can more readily accused of corruption much closer to home. Across the less wealthy parts of the world people are dying for lack of vaccines and PPE whereas here people have the luxury of being able to pontificate

Llywelyn ein Llyw Nesaf
Llywelyn ein Llyw Nesaf
2 years ago

The Tories are never satisfied are they? They ‘let the bodies pile high’ in the UK, but that’s not good enough. They want to see piles of bodies in Namibia as well.

How are these evil people allowed to have any part in our public life?

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