EA boss Somphote offers solutions to fight contagion
The SET-listed renewable energy firm Energy Absolute (EA) has proposed ways to strengthen protection for medical workers and the public in battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
The proposals were contained in a five-page letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in response to the premier’s invitation for the company owner to give input on ways to combat the disease.
Somphote Ahunai, founder and chief executive of EA, is one of the country’s top 20 billionaires on Gen Prayut’s list of contributors to the anti-Covid-19 cause.
Mr Somphote ranks 18th on Thailand’s 50 Richest list in Forbes, with an estimated net worth of US$2 billion (65 billion baht).
In the letter to the prime minister, EA pledged assistance to the medial workers and the general public.
The company is providing health insurance worth 25 billion baht of coverage to 50,000 medical and healthcare personnel on the frontline battling the virus. It has also paid for installation of anti-bacterial equipment and improvement of intensive care units at hospitals, as well as developing negative-pressure chambers to care for Covid-19 patients.
EA also is supporting research and development of vaccines and has distributed 6,000 high-accuracy test kits to medical facilities.
Also, EA has handed out face masks, sanitiser gel and air purifiers worth 150 million baht free to the public. The company pledged to give another 100 million baht to finance a second phase of assistance to medical workers and the public.
The letter said the most challenging task now was to find the right balance between maintaining the impetus in anti-virus restrictions and sustaining the economy which has stagnated under lockdown.
Mr Somphote said the company joined in the project to come up with an application called “Mor Chana” (Doctors Win) with the support of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
The app enables users to weigh one’s risk of contracting the virus based on a record of activities they have taken part in and people they have come into contact with in the past 14 days.