Combating COVID-19: the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation passes on 30,000 tests to detect coronavirus and 8,000 protective suits for medical workers in Lviv Region

Today, in conformity with Yu. Lypa Lviv Regional Hospital of War Veterans and the Repressed and jointly with DTEK, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation passed on 30,000 tests to medical workers in order to detect the coronavirus infection. In addition, jointly with FUIB, 8,000 protective suits were handed over to doctors. 

Diagnostic materials will be distributed among the main state hospitals in the region.

"Western Ukraine is at high risk. First and foremost,  this is confirmed by official statistics because the region shares borders with countries where the coronavirus appeared earlier than in our country. Therefore, the need for rapid tests when patients for COVID-19 can checked in 15 minutes is particularly high here. Even today, doctors from state hospitals in Lviv Region will receive tests and will be able to check people with coronavirus symptoms. And protective suits will help reduce the risk of infection for doctors," Natalia Yemchenko, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, said.

Chairman of the Lviv Regional State Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, expressed his gratitude to Rinat Akhmetov for such help and noted that each rapid test is a chance to save someone's life. Protection of medical workers is also among top priorities.

"The representatives of Rinat Akhmetov and his Foundation joined the Headquarters in Lviv Region in the fight against coronavirus. 8 thousand suits and 30 thousand tests are just the first supportive batch. They will be distributed fairly and in accordance with the needs between medical institutions of the region. Rinat Akhmetov and his Foundation do help Lviv Region. We express our sincerest gratitude for this," Maksym Kozytskyi said.

DTEK representative in the regional anti-crisis Headquarters in the fight against coronavirus, Oleh Polovtsev, expressed confidence that the joint efforts of the community, business and government will soon show the effectiveness in the fight against the infection.

"We believe that only together we can stop the spread of the virus and protect our citizens. We call upon business representatives to join our initiative and make their contribution so that the Ukrainian regions would be able to resist the epidemic," Oleh Polovtsev said.

Chief Doctor of Yu. Lypa Lviv Regional Hospital of War Veterans and the Repressed, Liubomyr Rak, noted that as of now there are no seriously ill patients with coronavirus in his medical facility, but the hospital staff is already ready to admit them.

"We express our gratitude to Rinat Akhmetov and his Foundation. This is tremendous support. We also express special gratitude for the protective suits. This is a very crucial point.  Therefore, the better our doctors are protected, the better their work will be," Liubomyr Rak added.

Oleh Tarashchuk, a representative of DTEK-Zakhidenergo, noted that the Dobrotvorskaya TPP's power engineers work in isolation to ensure energy supply to the region and minimize the spread of infection. Jointly with the Foundation, they help the region resist the spread of virus. 

As personally decided by the Founder, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation purchased over 300,000 rapid tests for Ukraine to detect coronavirus. Lviv Region was the sixth region to receive a batch of tests. Prior to that, highly sensitive test systems were transferred to state hospitals in Kharkiv (20,000 rapid tests), Donetsk (50,000 rapid tests), Luhansk (30,000 rapid tests), Zaporizhzhia (30,000 rapid tests) and Ivano-Frankivsk regions (10,000 rapid tests). 

Back in February, Rinat Akhmetov was the first in the country who gave directions to the Foundation to respond to the global threat of a coronavirus epidemic. The equipment to effectively treat the complications caused by COVID-19 – high-end ventilators and oxygen concentrators – has already been purchased and transferred to the Ministry of Health.

In particular, ventilators from the Foundation have been installed in the Poltava Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital, Rivne Central City Hospital and Zakarpattia Regional Hospital. The named hospitals in Poltava and Rivne also have oxygen concentrators for ventilators installed. A separate concentrator from the Foundation was delivered to the Volyn Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital. The number of medical facilities that have already received equipment from the Foundation was determined by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

 The Foundation also purchased personal protective equipment for Ukrainian doctors: EgoZlin biobag EBV – a unique insulating mobile box to transport infectious patients; EOBO-20 EgoZlin – a protective biological and anti-chemical suit with filter and ventilation set; anti-chemical disposable overalls; infrared thermometers with a laser pointer; multilayer respirators;  protective masks and goggles.  

 Another 22 ventilators were installed in neonatal ambulances and transferred by the Foundation to all regions of the country as part of the “200 ambulances for Ukraine” project. 

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is also purchasing coronavirus sample analyzers with test cartridges for them.

In partnership with the Ministry of Digital Development, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation created educational TV-series for teachers (“Quarantine: Online Services for Teachers”) and schoolchildren (“Digital Physical Education for Schoolchildren with Sport Stars”).  Video courses are posted on the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation's Facebook page and Youtube channel.

Jointly with TRK Ukraina, the Foundation created social videos urging older people to comply with the rule of thumb during the quarantine – Stay at Home. The TRK Ukraina TV-presenters and the ambassadors of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation – Ihor Pupkov, Oleh Paniuta, Hryhorii Herman, Oleksii Sukhanov and the famous journalist Savik Shuster – engage in the videos hag tagged #ParentsATHOME.