Donations continue to support the health emergency

Since March 2020, our lives have changed. The worldwide pandemic caused by Coronavirus has affected everyone, imposing a significant change in most of the common social habits. Masks, phone screens and computers hid our smiles. No more kisses and no more hugs, since they have turned from displays of affection into serious health threats for our loved ones.

It is shaping up to be still a long fight, as the huge loss of life due to Covid-19 has shown. Even so, in such a dramatic context, Menarini has distinguished itself for a person-oriented approach, aimed at supporting both: its employees and the entire society, with particular attention to the healthcare professionals, who have fought and are still fighting, always on the front line.

Many solidarity deeds have been carried out worldwide, Menarini continued to contribute fighting against COVID-19 in all the countries where it is based with numerous donation plans. 

In Italy, among the envisaged actions and those already undertaken: the donation of our disinfectant gel and the biocontainment stretcher

In the most critical phase of the pandemic, Menarini – after having reorganized part of its manufacturing plant in Florence to produce sanitizing gel to be donated to the Italian Civil Protection – has in a few weeks increased the gel production, so that 300 tons of disinfectant have already been donated.

Among the large number of donations Menarini has made all over the world, there are more than 1 million masks, between surgical and FFP2; 13.500 suits and 330.000 gloves; 14.000 safety googles; moreover, lung ventilators and a medical ultrasound machine.

For the treatment of itching, stinging and redness due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment, Menarini Relife has donated 10.500 packages of DermoRelizema containing 150.000 tubes of cream to help healthcare professionals to maintain and / or restore the physiological skin barrier.

 “We very much believe in doing good deeds – pointed out Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, shareholder and member of the Menarini Board – which does not simply mean making a donation and then no longer taking interest in a particular situation. What matters most to us is to see, keep track and understand if we are really dealing with something beneficial for our community.”

The Voluntary Association “Humanitas” of Florence – which deals with emergency services h24 – has received from Menarini Group a stretcher for the transport of patients in biocontainment. This is a concrete aid for rescue workers, who are fighting every day against Coronavirus. The biocontainment stretcher, in fact, allows ambulance to carry a highly contagious person. As explained by Maurizio Burgassi, President of Humanitas: “the biocontainment stretcher guarantees a safe environment, because thanks to a particular air filtration system the virus is prevented from leaving the bio containment. This feature ensures the protection of those outside the stretcher, who are not contaminated.”

Menarini’s aid in Spain: the Foodbank Foundation and research projects

Many donations have also been made in the countries where the Company is based.

In Spain, Menarini Group – during its fourth year of collaboration with the Foodbank Foundation (Fundació Banc dels Aliments) of Barcelona – broke the record for collecting food for families in need, for a total quantity of more than three tons of food: 1.500 kg were donated by Menarini Group and other 1.736 kg were given from employees of the Company; thus, reaching an amount of 3.236 kg of food offered. This was a much-needed show of solidarity, aimed at responding to requests for food aid of more than 160.000 people in Barcelona. According to the Foodbank Foundation data, requests were 40% more than before the health emergency was declared. Ignacio Gonzales, general manager of Menarini Spain, stated: “We are very proud to collaborate – this year more than ever – with the Foodbank Foundation; so that, with all possible means, families with less resources can access adequate and healthy food in these difficult times”.

But the initiatives in Spain do not end here: Menarini Diagnostics has donated 17.000 Pick Test (rapid serological tests) to the Ministry of Health, a concrete aid for hospitals and “a valid help to improve screening in the population”, as stated by Joaquim Carreras, Managing Director of Menarini Diagnostics.

In terms of research relating to SARS-Cov-2 and Covid-19, Menarini has donated a total amount of 140.000 € in favour of the Carlos III Health Institute (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) and the #YoMeCorono action.

In this period of crisis, even a single help can make the difference. In this regard, the medical representative of Menarini Spain, Ángel Luis Delgado Simó – with the help of his two sons and the collaboration of the Medical Representatives Association (ASVIME) of Valladolid – realized face shields for healthcare professionals, distributed in 1.200 hospitals during the Coronavirus first wave. 

In Europe and in the world

In Germany, the Berlin-Chemie Division supported schools in the regular resumption of lessons distributing 700 protective masks, 240 litres of disinfectant and its dispensers to the Otfried Preußler School of Großbeeren in the german state of Brandenburg and to the Hannah Arendt High School in Berlin-Rudow. The donation aims to implement the safety measures and hygiene rules in daily school life. Berlin-Chemie/Menarini International Division had already made its contribution during the most delicate phase of the pandemic, donating sanitizing gel to healthcare organizations.

Besides Germany, Berlin-Chemie has also helped healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic, which – especially during the first wave – had to face a serious shortage of medical devices and masks. In their spare time, Berlin-Chemie’s medical representatives – together with the local ones – sewed up funny decorations on protection masks and donated them to clinics and hospitals.

The Czech affiliate also gave a significant contribution to the health workforce with the donation of 17.500 packages of Sustenium Biorhythm 3 Multivitamin food supplement, to let healthcare professionals regain their strength after very tiring working days.

Menarini Ireland also took care of health workers, offering them a series of relaxation sessions to make breaks between shifts in hospitals more comfortable.

Rather, the Finnish affiliate Berlin-Chemie/Menarini Suomi Oy had periodically sent Menarini Pills of Art videos to the healthcare personnel, in the hope of giving them some moments of distraction and peace. 

In Asia, the subsidiary in Indonesia made financial contributions to supporting local healthcare facilities. In Thailand and Malaysia, Menarini branches have donated more than 10.000 masks to the population.

Menarini affiliate in the Philippines distributed 160.000 masks, 4.000 face shields, 2.450 suits, 5.000 shoe covers, 300.000 gloves and 13.000 safety goggles. In South Korea and Uzbekistan, employees of the Menarini subsidiary spontaneously organized a fundraising to support their community at this time of crisis.

Representative of the Company’s global commitment are the deeds of the Menarini International Foundation, which continues its mission of scientific dissemination by making available to healthcare professionals the Coronavirus Library, a virtual library on COVID-19 with texts selected by the Nobel Prize Louis Ignarro. An initiative that points out – once again – the central role of the Foundation in promoting the culture of prevention and scientific education on Covid-19 in Italy and in the world.