Our charity has donated medical devices, personal protection equipment and other goods to hospitals, clinics, ambulance stations and care homes across the country. Overall, the donations made by the charity amounted to almost PLN 50 000 000.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation directed its resources and expertise towards COVID-19 relief in Poland immediately after first confirmed the Polish Ministry of Health had confirmed cases of COVID-19. The main avenue of activity addressing the pandemic in the country was the purchase of medical devices and personal protective equipment for first responders and frontline medical staff.
The charity donated equipment worth PLN 48 765 372, 46. Among equipment donated by the charity, there are 200 beds for intensive care units, 34 medical ventilators (including ten transport ventilators which can be used onboard of ambulances), 2.6 million three-plier surgical masks. Please note that this sum does not include the cost of 37 additional medical ventilators which, even though have been paid for by the charity, because the company could provide the product at a much later date, were withdrawn from the COVID-19 Relief initiative.
It is also worth noting that equipment which has been donated by manufacturers and medical supply companies stands at PLN 2 503 078,54. The charity was able to give devices, such as infusion pumps, portable USG sets, and scuba-diving masks, which can be used to protect first responders against coronavirus.
Another aspect of COVID-19 Relief Initiative was aimed at addressing the needs of some of the most vulnerable people. The charity launched an initiative to help the elderly, people with pre-existing health issues, and other people more sensitive to the virus during nationally enforced lock-down. The Foundation helped volunteers and local activists get in touch with people who needed help running day-to-day errands, such as shopping or dog-walking. Over 2 000 volunteers helped 800 people, who had to observe strict social distancing rules. The initiative, dubbed "Let's Help Each-other", fostered a spirit of community and helped in trying time of pandemic and uncertain atmosphere of social isolation.
Another aspect of the charity's work to maintain community spirit in the uncertain and challenging time was the launch of daily online programme "Domowa Orkiestra" ("Home Orchestra"). The show, which airs every day since the start of the lock-down in Poland features competitions and activities for children, archive footage from the festival and other never-before-seen video material.
The 1,685 Collection Centres in Poland and abroad are in the final lap of the preparations for the Grand Finale events. It's your last chance to participate in the initiative! See how your company can support the 32nd Grand Finale fundraiser!
Five days before the 32nd Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, we visited the 'Pomnik - Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka' (Children's Memorial Health Institute) to ceremoniously inaugurate the first Ophthalmic Simulation Laboratory in Europe dedicated exclusively to the field of peadiatric ophthalmology.
Warsaw, Poland, the world! The enthusiasm which exploded in our country in 1993 has reached the most distant corners of the world in a flash. Already during the very first Grand Finale, we were present across the ocean!
