Etisalat partners with Al Ihsan Charity to collect unused medicines from employees

Abu Dhabi, 29 May 2018:  Building on last year’s success, Etisalat has collaborated once again with Al Ihsan Charity Society for the ‘Medicine Box Initiative’ to facilitate the donation of unused medicines by all its employees.

Last year, Etisalat collected AED113,385 worth of unused medicine from across its offices in the UAE. The donated medicines will go towards supporting Al Ihsan Medical Complex, one of the main projects being managed by Al Ihsan Charity Association in Ajman. This is a charitable pharmacy that donates free unused medicines to people in need.

Dr Ahmed Bin Ali, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Etisalat, said: “Etisalat is proud to launch our ‘Medicine Drop Box Initiative’ for the second consecutive year in collaboration with Al Ihsan Charity in Ajman. Our CSR team worked on this project very closely with the charity as we realized that there are millions of people worldwide who do not have access to basic medication and facilities. In UAE, our employees would be pleased to contribute to this worthy initiative especially that all of us have a lot of unused medicines that just go to waste most of the time.”

He praised Etisalat's participation in the initiative and the donation of their usable medicines to alleviate the suffering of needy patients and enable the UAE charitable societies and organizations to carry out voluntary and humanitarian work to provide treatment and medicine for those unable to afford the purchase of medicines in different countries.

Customised Eticare boxes have been created and placed across eight Etisalat offices in UAE. Before Ramadan, Etisalat distributed specially designed pouches among employees to collect unused medicine and drop it off at these boxes. The medicine must not be expired and should be valid for at least 6 months. Employees are instructed to include syrups or ointments that are unused and unopened in addition to the fact that they do not require refrigeration.

Dr Haki E Abraheem, acting CEO and Executive Director of Al Ihsan Charity Association, said: “Al Ihsan Medical Complex is one of the major projects of Al Ihsan Charity Association in Ajman to provide medical care and treatment for all society segments of the poor, needy, orphans and the widows, and more than 3,000 families. The sustainability of this project comes from the overwhelming support provided by our strategic partners, including Etisalat."