Singapore based Novena Global Lifecare, one of Asia's largest integrated medical healthcare and aesthetic companies, with over 250 clinics in 20 cities mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, will donate up to one million masks & other medical supplies to hospitals in China including Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

As a company with a significant presence in North Asia, NGL (through its subsidiary Novena Bellagraph Healthcare) hopes to do its bid to help win the fight against the outbreak.

NGL will work with the following organisations such as the China Youth Charitable Foundation, a national non-profit and non-governmental organisation based in China, and Shanghai Ruijin Hospital medical team, which is sending an emergency medical support team to oversee the Wuhan Treatment Center, also known as the Jinyintan Hospital, as well as the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention (SCDC) to help ship the medical supplies from overseas sources to China.

The outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic has caused an acute shortage of healthcare supplies as people rush to buy items such as surgical masks, gloves and hand sanitisers.

NGL's donation in medical supplies is timely given that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has just declared the Wuhan epidemic as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This declaration means that, among other measures, national health authorities around the world are recommended to step up their monitoring, preparedness and containment measures. The PHEIC status also pushes nations to coordinate funding, personnel and other resources, and helps countries persuade residents to follow health recommendations.

NGL's Executive Chairman and Co-founder, Mr Nelson Loh, said: "The coronavirus epidemic once again reminds us of how small the world is and how we are all living in the same global village. As a regional healthcare player, we want to do our part in minimising the risk exposure to the virus and we hope our movement will spark more regional companies to step up in aid."

"We hope the aid will provide the necessary protection for the frontline healthcare workers in Wuhan, who are working tirelessly to contain the spread of the coronavirus and treat the sick at ground zero."

NGL's CEO and Co-founder, Mr Terence Loh, said: "We decided to reallocate a portion of our medical resources which was originally intended for our Shanghai Flagship Novena Bellagraph Hospital Project to this cause as we felt it was the right thing to do. NGL remains ready to contribute in any way in countries where NGL operates in as and when needed."