20,000 bottles of bird's nest, 14,000 cups of bubble tea, more than 45,000 packets of drinks and snacks and 7,000 cards will be delivered over the next two weeks, to offer respite from the stressful work

Pooling manpower and raising $140,000, OCBC employees will distribute food items as well as handwritten cards  to cheer on healthcare workers at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) who have been working selflessly and tirelessly during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Singapore. 

Top on the list of what many healthcare workers wished - as respite from their stressful work - were their favourite drinks like Ribena, snacks that they can eat on the go, bird’s nest supplements, and even a special treat of bubble tea. Collaborating with like-minded partners who readily offered to sell products at below cost, the Bank has procured 20,000 bottles of bird’s nest supplements, and more than 45,000 packets of drinks and snacks. These will be delivered to TTSH over the next two weeks, starting 19 February 2020. The partners supporting this initiative include New Moon, F & N Foods Pte Ltd, and Gong Cha (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

OCBC made arrangements with Gong Cha to offer the hospital staff up to 1,000 cups of  bubble tea daily for the next  two weeks. These will be served up at the Gong Cha outlet located at TTSH. To enjoy any of Gong Cha’s top 3 classic drinks -  Pearl milk tea; Plum green tea; and Honey lemon green tea - all staff need to do is present their employee identity pass.   

Seven thousand OCBC staff also penned notes of appreciation and encouragement for the hospital staff, thanking them for their dedication and sacrifices during this challenging time. As Winston Churchill said, ‘Never was so much owed by so many to so few’.

Ms Koh Ching Ching, OCBC Bank’s Head of Group Brand and Communications explained, “As bankers, we don’t have the skill sets to  support our healthcare workers, but we really want to show our appreciation. We hope our small gesture will help brighten their day just a little.”

“In the spirit of #OCBCCares, we are glad that we are able to give the hospital staff what they wished for. We are grateful that we have supportive partners who are willing to collaborate with us, to show care and provide comfort during this period,” she added.