Coronavirus crisis: Companies, athletes start donating money for hospitals in Romania

Amid coronavirus outbreak, Banca Transilvania has announced today it is donating RON 1.4 million for the purchase of mechanical ventilation equipment, other medical devices and materials for the state hospitals in Romania.

“We are all trying to do our best to endorse Romanians, so Banca Transilvania will donate RON 1.4 million to buy mechanical ventilation equipment, medical devices and materials for the state hospitals in Romania. We join the efforts of “Daruieste Viata” Association and of the doctors who are helping as many people as they can. Solidarity is what we need most during this time”, said Ömer Tetik, BT General Manager.

PROFI has also announced a donation of RON 1 million to equip the Intensive Care Units with mechanical ventilation devices. “We are talking about huge sums of money and about extremely short time for interventions. Every lost day in delaying to order these devices will definitely COSTS LIVES. Every donation for this purpose does matter!,” said Calin Costinaș, PROFI deputy GM, while announcing the retailer will make a EUR 1 M donation to equip Intensive Care Units with mechanical ventilation devices.

In his turn, PROFI General Manager Pawel Musial said the information is confirmed that “the intensive care units across hospitals in Romania have not capacity to deal with a large number of patients who would need to be intubated and would need respirators”.

Musial quoted Dorel Săndesc, President of the Intensive Care Units Romania who says that “if a wave of patients infected with coronavirus is coming, it will block the entire medical system”. According to the doctor, Romania has 2,356 beds that are immediately available, but 1,292 of them have now respirators or other equipment. The equipment of all those 1,292 beds would cost around EUR 139 M.

AVON Romania has also announced it is donating 1.7 tons of hygiene products (liquid soaps and shower gels) for the quarantine centres in Bucharest.

The company will also donate money to help to cover the needs of the medical system.

“We are endorsing the local efforts to manage the current situation and we are contributing asap with care products for the quarantine centrs and hospitals. The partnership between companies, institutions and civil society is more important than ever”, said Andreea Moldovan, General Manager SEE AVON.

TeraPlast Group, one of the main players in the construction market, has also joined the donation cause, announcing it is donating RON 60,000 to the County Hospital in Bistrita Nasaud, and RON 25,000 to Baicoi Local Hospital, for acquisitions of medical equipment and medicines needed during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Aegon Romania has also bought two special stretchers to donate to Cluj Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.

Romanian tennis champion Simona Halep has said in a Facebook post she will donate a sum of money that will go for the purchase of the necessary medical equipment and materials in countering the coronavirus epidemic. The money will be directed to the medical authorities in Iasi and Constanta.

“Unfortunately, we are all going through a very difficult time (…) but it is the perfect opportunity to show our solidarity and responsibility (…) While we are at home, doctors and the medical staff are doing huge efforts to treat and save every life. Let’s closely follow the authorities’ rules (…) I decided to donate a sum of money for the purchase of necessary equipment and materials in such situations, a sum to be directed immediately to the medical authorities in Bucharest and Constanta,” reads Simona Halep’s post.

Online platform where companies, entrepreneurs can help hospitals in Romania

At the same time, an online platform has been set up to enable companies and investors to help hospitals in Romania. The project #ajutorspitale is a bridge linking the business resources and the needs for the Romanian hospitals in this critical moments. Set up by Dorin Boerescu (CEO 2Performant), with the support of Ilinca Păun (CEO The Entrepreneurship Academy) and Alexandru Ghiță (Founder Educativa, co-founder Entrepreneurship Academy) and implemented by 60 volunteers, the platform https://ajutorspitale.entreprenation.ro/ is a call for solidarity addressed to all businessmen who can make a difference and who can have a positive impact to the community.

The platform identifies the needs in the hospitals across the country, while a team of volunteers is ready to collaborate with the Health Ministry and with the Public Health Directions in order to direct funds where there is real needs and where the situation can become critical in the next 2-3 weeks if the number of coronavirus cases rises. The mission of the platform is to help hospitals and family doctors in Romania in the fight against COVID-19.