Coronavirus: Polish companies have started to help the state

Ten post jest także dostępny w języku: polski

The current coronavirus pandemic is a burden that no health care system in the world can handle. Many Polish companies have responded to the government’s appeal for support, financing the purchase of protection equipment, tests and medical equipment from their own resources.

Polpharma will buy respirators

Jerzy Starak, together with his Polpharma Group, one of the largest Polish pharmaceutical companies, declared to hand over 100 respirators to Polish hospitals. Contracts for delivery of 90 products have already been signed. The first 40 units are to be delivered to Poland in mid-April, in the next 50 – at the end of next month. Negotiations concerning the last 10 units are currently being finalised. The total purchase amount is about PLN 7m.

Respirators are one of the key medical equipment in the treatment of respiratory complications caused by COVID-19. Polish hospitals have about 10,000 respirators, out of which there are about 700 in one-sided infectious diseases hospitals. The increase in the number of respirators may also occur thanks to the invention of scientists from the Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences. They developed a device which enables independent ventilation of two patients with one ventilator. The first series of Ventil devices is to be ready within three weeks. The devices are to be used in clinical trials in selected hospitals.

Unimot: 100,000 tests from China

Unimot, a company operating in the fuel industry, will donate 100,000 tests for COVID-19 to the Polish government. They were purchased from the Chinese producer Sinopharm International. The value of the order is about PLN 1.5m. Unimot used its own contacts in Shanghai to purchase tests. The contract was signed on 20 March and the tests are to be produced within 14 days.

As informed by the Ministry of Health a few days ago, about 40,000 tests for coronavirus were transferred to laboratories in Poland. So far, more than 20,000 such tests have been performed. The laboratories, of which there are over 30, work with the capacity of 2,500 tests per day. Their target capacity is 4,000 tests per day.

Numerous financial grants

Other companies have decided to support themselves with cash. For example, PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Grupa Lotos will provide PLN 5m each, and PKN Orlen – PLN 6m. The PZU Group has donated PLN 6m for the purchase by hospitals of the most needed equipment for fighting the virus. It will also allocate funds for suits, masks, gloves and disinfectants for border guards and police.

Subsidies also come from private individuals. Dominika Kulczyk donated PLN 20m, and Anna and Robert Lewandowski donated 1 million euro (over PLN 4m). The collection for Polish hospitals is also launched by the foundation siepomaga.pl. The funds are to be used to provide the facilities with the necessary equipment. Currently, there is already over PLN 16m in the collection account.