Beds for ICUs for PLN 4 000 000

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation is taking further steps to support Polish healthcare providers in their fight with Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Our charity ordered 150 beds for intensive care units. The beds will be delivered to 19 hospitals appointed by the Ministry of Health by the end of April. 

The board of the charity has reached to Łukasz Szumowski, Polish Minister of Health, to offer support and consult the most necessary purchases in aid of public hospitals, where the staff is taking care of Covid-19 patients. The GOCC as able to ensure the purchase of 150 ICU beds. 

It is true that medical ventilators are essential for treating Covid-19 cases, but these devices cannot be bought off the cuff, they are not in stock at all times. In the previous years, when we bought ventilators for paediatric hospitals, the process took us a couple of months, and now, when the entire world is after these devices, it might take even longer. Yesterday we ordered 150 ICU beds for almost PLN 4 000 000 (EUR 877 600). Beds will be delivered to hospitals by the end of April. We will receive the list of hospitals from the Ministry of Health, says Jurek Owsiak, chairman of the board of the Foundation. 

This recent purchase is not the only way in which the charity engages in Covid-19 relief in Poland. The charity has launched an online platform for volunteers, who are ready to help people, who due to poor health, vulnerability, or age are unable to leave their houses. An interactive map shows locations of people who are willing to help with shopping, dog walking or other simple tasks. So far, over 700 volunteers (predominantly members of the Peace Patrol and activists engaged in Grand Finale fundraiser) were able to help 100 people.