Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar transfer 20,000 rapid tests to Kharkiv region to detect coronavirus
On 6 April, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar transferred 20,000 rapid tests to Kharkiv Region to detect COVID-19. This region was the first to receive part of the batch of 300,000 tests purchased by the Foundation for all Ukrainian regions.
A patient with suspected COVID-19 can be tested with the highly-sensitive tests aimed for primary coronavirus diagnostics in just 15 minutes.
"Public hospitals in Ukraine are in desperate need of such tests. Thanks to them, doctors will be able to make effective epidemiological decisions quickly - diagnose the virus and isolate its carriers in order to prevent the spread of epidemic. The entire batch purchased by the Foundation will be distributed between the regions by the Ministry of Health. Express tests purchased by the Akhmetov Foundation are sent only to public hospitals, they are given free of charge," Natalia Yemchenko, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, said.
Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleksii Kucher, thanked the Foundation and FC Shakhtar for their help and noted that big business involved in helping the country is an example to follow.
"I want to express my gratitude to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and all concerned football players. This is very, very important for Kharkiv and Kharkiv Region," Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleksii Kucher said. "We will distribute these 20,000 tests to those reference hospitals that will admit the first patients with COVID-19.
Representatives of the Kharkiv authorities received test certificates from FC Shakhtar footballer Valerii Bondar.
"I am a citizen of Kharkiv, and now Shakhtar is winning trophies in Kharkiv, and as players we feel the support from the fans during the matches. We are forever grateful to them for this. I am glad that we can now do a good deed for my home city as a team. I express my gratitude to Rinat Leonidovich and the Foundation that these tests appeared in Kharkiv and can help. The main thing is that all our fans would now stay at home, observe the quarantine and take care of their loved ones. Football will soon return to the city, and we will be happy to see everyone at our games in Kharkiv" - Valerii Bondar, FC Shakhtar back, said.
Valerii Bondar also acted as a volunteer and had a rapid test done right during the offload. The result was negative.
The tests purchased by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and transferred to Kharkiv Region will be delivered to the state medical institutions of the region in the near future.
Rinat Akhmetov sent 300 million UAH to fight COVID-19. To help Ukraine, he combined all the resources: the Charitable Foundation, FC Shakhtar, DTEK, Metinvest and other SCM assets.
Back in February, Rinat Akhmetov gave directions to the Foundation to be the first in the country to respond to the global threat of a coronavirus epidemic. The equipment to effectively treat the complications caused by COVID-19 – the Swedish SERVO-I UNIVERSAL and SERVO AIR 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 has also purchased coronavirus sample analyzers with test cartridges for them to be delivered to Donetsk Region.
Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance created unique educational series for teachers ("Quarantine: online services for teachers") and together with FC Shakhter for school children ("digital physical education for school children with the participation of sports 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.
