By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
Management and staff of Orange Sierra Leone (SL), the country’s leading telecoms company, has been commended for their solidarity with government in the campaign against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).
The telecoms company was commended for its intended support to healthcare workers at the three designated COVID-19 treatment centres through the ‘WANPOT BUNDLE.’
The commendation was made by the Emergency Operations Centre, a body charged with the responsibility of mobilising campaign to defeat COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.
The BUNDLE OFFER will ensure affordable and discounted rates for calls, data and SMS.
According to the WANPOT offer, Le 150,000 will be paid for voice calls to all destinations, 5GB and 600 SMS on net per month.
The WANPOT package was launched on 2nd April, almost four weeks back for ease of communication throughout Sierra Leone.
The WANPOT package combines prepaid and post-paid features that offer customers a monthly bundle of a fixed price with abundant data.
The product targets specifically corporate institutions, businesses and other individuals.
The new product, according to Orange SL, proffers solutions to most of the issues that the traditional post-paid service could not solve.
With the new offer, Orange SL’s clients can control their flow with the flexibility of recharging as and when necessary or when monthly limit is exhausted at the comfort of one’s home.
However, An EOC correspondence of 23rd April, 2020 indicates that the total number of deaths stands at 2, active cases at isolation centres is 52 and that condition of confirmed positive cases remains stable.
Also, the cumulative recoveries stand at 10 and the number of quarantine is 702.
However, 1,236 have been discharged from quarantine facilities and the dissemination of COVID-19 prevention messages prevention continues.
The most recent COVID-19 related death involves a 69-year old male who passed away at the 34- military treatment centre in Freetown.
The late man was tested positive at Choitrams Memorial Hospital in Freetown and died while en-route to 34-Military Hospital treatment centre.
Apart from the launch of WANPOT offer, Orange SL has been making significant contributions to tough campaign against COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.
The company has ensured that COVID-19 prevention messages are being used as caller ring back tunes.
With these messages, consciousness about the virus has been heightened throughout the country.
Almost invariably, Orange SL has made several donations to boost the COVID-19 fight to halt its spread.
In March this year, Orange SL donated personal protective equipment to the people of Constituency 112 in the Western Area Rural which hosts Orange SL headquarters.
The member parliament, Hon. Haja Miatta Amara who represented the constituency received the items on behalf of the people.
In the same month, the telecoms company also boost government effort through the donation of hand washing to the people of constituency 128 in the west of the capital including Wilberforce, Tengbeh Town and Hill Station communities.
The donated materials: veronica buckets, hand sanitisers, soap and gloves and other protective gears are meant to be used by the residents in those communities.
The donations came as a result of requests made parliamentarians of the constituencies, Hon. Haja Miatta Amara and Hon. Benjamin Turay.
Moreover, Orange SL intensified the COVID-19 fight by launching the free on-line studies for schools and universities in Sierra Leone.
The free on-line programme is expected to commence soon.
With its implementation, pupils and students could access teaching and lecturing programmes on-line with no payment.
Similarly, under the free on-line studies, schools and colleges can also enjoy free browsing on several learning sites especially the Ministry of Basic and Senior School Education (MBSSE) on-line classroom, Wikipedia, Khan Academy Open2Study and many more.
Also, Pupils and students can also visit http://www..orange.sl/personal/101/orange-education-2986.html and additional links to access COVID-19 messages free of cost.
The provision of on-line services is made possible through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Orange SL and MBSSE to offer zero-rated education portals to schools and colleges country-wide in the COVID-19.
In addition, Orange SL has established good working relationship with Ministry of Information and communication by Zero-rating other links to enhance access to information about COVID-19.
Considering that information is paramount, Orange SL has also ensured that its products and services including Sim cards, scratch cards, orange Money services, Voice and SMS are always available.
Its offices have been sanitised to ensure that customers access their facilities in a virus-free environment.
Also, Orange money service and other mobile monetary transactions are in full swing and queues at their offices have been considerably reduced.
Owing to the foregoing, it can be said that Orange SL cares by continuously calling on Sierra Leoneans to call 117 If COVID-19 signs and symptoms are seen and felt.
Similarly, it is also hoped that the lives of millions of people could be saved with the compliance of the messages.
Thus, Orange SL is determined to provide more services to defeat the Corona Virus so that life becomes normal again.
EOC Commends Orange SL
