Combating coronavirus: the assistance by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation to stop the epidemic in Ukraine. Part 2
Rinat Akhmetov was the first in the country to respond to the threat of the epidemic and financed 300 million UAH to fight COVID-19 in Ukraine. To help Ukraine, he combined all the resources: the Charitable Foundation, FC Shakhtar, DTEK, Metinvest and other SCM assets.
The Foundation works in close coordination with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, regional anti-crisis headquarters that combat the coronavirus and helps public hospitals by providing what is most urgently needed. Equipment, rapid tests, and personal protective equipment are being transferred to medical profesionals as part of project Fighting COVID-19 in Ukraine, which has become part of the large program Rinat Akhmetov – Saving Lives.
Please read about the assistance the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has been providing to the country in February-April 2020 here. The incomplete list of the assistance provided by the Foundation in May-June can be found in this material.
END OF APRIL-MAY 2020
On 30 April, the Foundation transferred a purpose-designed TDB-120 thermostat and a D2012 PLUS centrifuge and a CM-8 MICROMED shaker to the laboratory of the Mariupol Branch of the Donetsk Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. This equipment allowed Mariupol doctors to independently perform the entire cycle of tests and quickly obtain high-precision results. Earlier, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation transferred QuantStudio™5 sample analyzer completed with the test system and the biosafety case to this laboratory.
On the same day, jointly with Parallel Company, the Foundation transferred fuel to I. K. Matsuk Mariupol City Hospital No. 4. Earlier, gas, petrol and diesel fuel were delivered to other state medical institutions in Mariupol, Kostiantynivka, Kurakhove, Volnovakha, Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk, Novopskov and Novoaidar.
On 4 May, another shipment of rapid tests to detect COVID-19 arrived in Ukraine. This time, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation brought a batch of test systems to check for coronavirus doctors working in the ambulance service. 20,000 diagnostic kits were distributed among regional centers of emergency medical care and disaster medicine in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Lviv and Zhytomyr.
On 5 May, jointly with TRK Ukraina, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation launched a special project - #Dyakuemomedikam. As part of the campaign, stories of the doctors whose exploits often go unnoticed were told throughout the country – their stories were recorded and told on social networks.
On 6 May, jointly with FUIB, the Foundation handed over 5000 sets of medical clothing to Ternopil doctors. Head of Ternopil Regional State Administration, Volodymyr Trush, said that the clothing was distributed among the main hospitals of the entire region.
On 7 May, Emergency and Emergency Medicine Centers in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk received diagnostic materials from the Foundation to do the coronavirus testing. On 12 May, Ternopil and Vinnytsia received test systems for the doctors, on 13 May – Chernivtsi, on 15 May – Zhytomyr and Rivne.
On 13 May, Dnipropetrovsk Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine received from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation a modern American-made PCR analyzer and an uninterruptible power supply that will ensure the functioning of the device even in the event of emergency power outages.
On the same day, Hlybotska Central District Hospital (Chernivtsi Oblast) received a modern ventilator along with a patient monitor from the Foundation.
On 15 May, the Foundation handed over a large batch of personal protective equipment for Donbass doctors. Doctors of Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Mariinka, Myrnohrad, Toretsk, Sloviansk, Bilovodsk and Sievierodonetsk received protective masks, surgical aprons, caps, protective screens, sanitizers and oximeters. On 16 May, similar assistance was provided to the medical staff of Volnovakha, Pokrovsk, Rubizhne, Starobilsk, and Lysychansk.
On 19 May, the Foundation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Association of Anesthesiologists. The parties agreed to initiate online training for doctors working with ventilators. On 21 May, the first online conference was held. It was attended by more than 800 doctors from all over the country. Previously, jointly with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the series "How Ventilators Work" was filmed.
During the second half of May, together with DTEK and Metinvest, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation provided 10,000 food packages to labor veterans in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. Food delivery was carried out in a contactless way, in compliance with all necessary quarantine regulations.
JUNE 2020
On 2 June, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine signed a Memorandum on joining efforts to promote and activate national adoption and the development of family forms of education during quarantine. The first joint project will be the video course "Getting Ready to Take a Child".
On the same day, on 2 June, a cargo plane arrived at Boryspil International Airport, which delivered another 32 ventilators to Ukraine out of 200 ventilators, purchased by the Foundation for public hospitals in the country. This is the largest batch that has crossed the border of Ukraine since the quarantine began.
On 6 June, six cutting-edge ventilators were handed over to doctors of Lviv Oblast by the Foundation and DTEK.
On 10 June, Bakhmut Multi-Field Intensive Care Hospital received a modern ventilator. Svitlana Melnykova, chief doctor of the medical facility said that this is the first time Bakhmut has received this equipment for the first time:
"Our hospital is recognized as a basic institution to admit such patients. Thus, it is a big responsibility. We are obliged to provide high-quality medical care. To do this, we need qualified personnel and modern equipment. We have 25 ventilators, but they are midrange. I would like to express my gratitude to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation on behalf of the entire team and all citizens for this gift. This device will help save lives.
On the same day, three ventilators from the Foundation were delivered to Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, and Kramatorsk got two ventilators. Deputy Chief Physician of Kramatorsk City Hospital No. 3, Larysa Volovykova, told that the doctors were waiting for this equipment for so long.
"Even the most excellent medical workers without working conditions and equipment are sometimes unable to do anything. We are so grateful to those people who delivered the devices and, thus, improved the working conditions of our hospital," Larysa Havrylivna said.
On 11 June, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and Metinvest delivered a ventilator to medical professionals of Kryvyi Rih. The modern and high-end equipment —Monnal T75 by Air Liquide Medical Systems SA (France) — was received by Kryvyi Rih Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1.
On the same day, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and DTEK transferred two ventilators to Nadvirna Central District Hospital, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Chief Physician Serhiy Emelyanchuk expressed his gratitude for the help, noting its significance.
Our hospital was a mainstay during the coronavirus epidemic and we felt shortage of medical equipment that saves lives. The Foundation responded to our request for help.
On 12 June, Starobilsk and Rubizhne received two ventilators from the Foundation.
"It is the center of Luhansk Oblast. Patients from all remote towns and villages will be brought here. Our task is to provide medical professionals with whatever they need. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is delivering the ventilators that are so essential for medicine. We deeply appreciate this assistance. It arrived not a moment too soon. It is impossible to overestimate it, because it is impossible to evaluate life or health of people this device will save. I bow down before the Foundation and all the doctors who work here," Chairman of Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhii Haidai, said.
On 16 June, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar transferred two Monnal T75 ventilators manufactured by Air Liquide Medical Systems SA (France) to the doctors of Kharkiv Regional Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital. On the same day, the equipment was handed over to the doctors of Kostiantynivka.
On 17 June, the Myrnohrad doctors received three ventilators from the Foundation, and on 18 June, two devices were donated to the Mariupol Emergency Medical Care Hospital.
On 22 June, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and DTEK delivered a modern ventilator to Yu. Lypa Lviv Regional Hospital of War Veterans and the Repressed.
"This is the seventh ventilator, which is transferred by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and DTEK. They are crucial, since there are many patients. COVID doesn't back down. Therefore, we really appreciate this help," Chairman of Lviv Regional Council Oleksandr Hanushchyn said, accepting the equipment.
On 23 June, Kosov Central District Hospital, Outer Subcarpathia, received a high-quality ventilator from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and DTEK.
"We are glad to have such a modern and extremely necessary device. We did not have such high-end ventilators. We really appreciate this," Director of the Hospital, Dmytro Mykytiuk, said.
On 24 June, Kyiv Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine received a modern ventilator from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
At the end of June, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation gave sets of special, individual medical clothing for each doctor and medical professionals treating COVID patients in intensive care units in medical facilites that received ventilators from the Foundation.
Ukraine has already received a new batch of ventilators purchased by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for public hospitals.
