Nigerian lender, Heritage Bank, has joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) to celebrate pay tribute to health workers globally for their selfless sacrifice and bravery in the fight against the novel Coronavirus pandemic causing countless mortality rates.
The global organisation is marking the World Health Workers Week from April 6 to 11, 2020 for the eighth year with the theme Leaders on the Line.
WHO said the theme for this year highlights the need to provide greater leadership opportunities for frontline health workers—particularly women health workers, who make up more than 70 percent of the global health workforce.
“At the same time, this theme emphasizes how health workers often put themselves on the line, often at great personal risk to themselves and their families, to save and improve lives,” it explained.
MD/CEO of Heritage Bank Plc, Mr Ifie Sekibo, while speaking on this year celebration, commended the health practitioners worldwide, stating that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world the heroic efforts health workers on the front lines make every day to keep their respective communities and the world safe and healthy.
“Despite the havoc caused by the of coronavirus pandemic on individuals and the medical personnel who are not spared by the disease, they continue to play significant roles to contain the spread of the disease, carter for the affected patients and embark on research to attain robust understand of COVID-19.
“They also take steps further to proffer recommendation on how to remain safe, hale and hearty, whilst we all embrace the warmth and safety of our home.
“This is a calling for every individual within and outside to honour and support the brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines,” he stated.
He, however, assured that as a bank “We are proud to join forces with health workers and agencies to help suppress the transmission of the virus, minimize social-economic impacts on the global community and work together to boost the nation economic growth,”
Also, as part of effort to support and attain a more robust health system in the country, Mr Sekibo has further called and encouraged government at all levels, key stakeholders, including the private sector to strengthen financial and technical support for health workers, as part of efforts to create a safer environment for them.
According him, it calls for our collective joint action to combat COVID-19 since we are in this together and we will get through this together.
Meanwhile, Heritage Bank has assured customers of uninterrupted access to the various services, which they have been enjoying before now.
This has been made possible with the activation of the bank’s business continuity management emanating from Heritage Bank’s corporate strategy to guarantee seamless service delivery to the various stakeholders.
The bank also adopted a crisis response measures in place to minimise and manage the risk arising from COVID-19 and ensure that the payment infrastructure and logistics to maintain operations going as various State governments continue to observe lockdown to contain the pandemic.
To ensure seamless banking transactions, the bank explained that customers are constantly communicated to, to adopt its available 24/7 alternate electronic channels.
“We have encouraged our customers to adopt the self-service platforms by using the *745#. We are available via email [email protected] and social media (insert social media icons) to render the following services: Debit Card Hotlist, Post No Debit Request (PND Placement), HB Padie unlock/ username request/ Password reset, Statement of Account (individual accounts) and general inquiries on products and services.
“We have setup a COVID-19 Support Centre to offer COVID-19 safety tips to all our customers during this period, in support of the efforts of the Government and relevant bodies. Please send any information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic via these channels: E-mail: [email protected] and contact number: 01-2369099,” the bank explained.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale