We are very grateful and happy that so many people chose to donate 1% of their tax in aid of the objectives of our Charity. Money raised this year will go towards supporting our national medical initiatives such as newborn screening and the purchase of furniture for parents to ensure that the parents who are staying with their children at the hospitals can grab a rest, relax and be comfortable. These chairs and settees might not be the peak of medical equipment sophistication, but they transform the experience of parents who can now rest in dignified conditions.
We believe that the presence of parents or carers at the child's bedside helps with the healing process - children are less stressed. We bought 4 874 recliners for almost PLN 9 000 000, which were then donated to hospitals nationwide. Recliners must be made available to parents, who are staying with their children completely free of charge for the entire duration of their stay at the hospital.
We used money raised through 1% tax donation to buy equipment for children's and young people's psychiatric wards (furniture and testing equipment) as well as a fleet of cars and medical equipment for children's hospices and to buy and donate 220 AEDs to different public locations in the country.
One of our objectives which will provide the scope of our focus in the future is the condition of mental health services and psychiatric wards in Poland. We aim to work out a comprehensive program of improving the conditions and donating equipment and furniture to ensure that the patients can receive support and help from professionals in hospitals which are modern, comfortable and conducive to successful treatment. We have already bought and donated equipment and furniture for PLN 3 500 000, but we aim to keep helping to equip these hospitals. The needs of psychiatric wards and clinics are huge, but we are working together with medical professionals and the Polish Senate to come up with the solutions.
On 5 December, we organized the 68th Open Tender dedicated to the aim of the 30th Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, i.e. paediatric ophthalmology.
As you already know, we play with everyone and for everyone. What is more, in Warsaw we play in a totally new location! For the first time ever the heart of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity will be beating at the PGE Narodowy meadows.
Jurek Owsiak, conductor of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, gave the signal and the 32nd Grand Finale officially began.
