Jurek Owsiak, chairman of the GOCC is hands-on when it comes to overseeing COVID-19 Relief Initiative

10 Additional Ventilators, 50 ICU Beds, and over Million Protective Masks to be Delivered to Polish Hospitals.

08 April 2020

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is currently committed to buying and delivering medical equipment for hospitals tasked with treating COVID-19 cases. We are prioritizing the safety of medical staff, and are fast-tracking deliveries of personal protection for frontline medical workers.

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, we are donating personal protective equipment - masks and face shields for medical staff nationwide. Our charity is working round the clock to secure the purchase and transport of protective gear for our brave frontline medical staff. We want to ensure that as they help us to get through this extremely challenging time, they can feel safe themselves. We managed to acquire and will donate 75 000 face shields, 1 000 000 surgical masks and 2 500 sports masks which can be adapted to protect against the spread of the virus. Medical professionals, who are in the highest risk of contracting coronavirus, are in critical need of masks, face shields, gloves, and other items which will ensure their safety.

Protective gear for medical staff is our top priority at the moment. Masks, coveralls, face shields and goggles are currently among the most desperately required equipment. We will be donating PPE to hospitals, emergency rooms, and to care centres across the country.

Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, medical affairs director at the GOCC

Chairman of the Charity, Jurek Owsiak is hands-on when it comes to deliveries of protective masks.

Helping medical staff is our top priority at the moment, and we focus on buying, shipping, and delivering the gear as fast as possible. Medical personnel are dedicated to protecting us against the virus, so we are committed to helping frontline medical staff be safe. Our donations will supplement the items bought by the state agencies, and we will send the gear to these facilities which otherwise would not receive support. We are going to focus on the so-called second-line hospitals, ambulance stations, and ob-gyn wards.

Jurek Owsiak, chairman of the GOCC

On Tuesday, April 7th, the GOCC managed to secure an order of 50 additional beds for ICUs at isolation hospitals. This purchase rounds up the number of beds we bought to 200 units. These beds are currently en route to hospitals - first 50 beds should be delivered any day now. Another essential purchase we made on April 7th are ten medical ventilators. Ventilators are crucial when treating the most severe cases of coronavirus. Overall, as of April 7th, we ordered 47 medical ventilators for Polish hospitals, and we are currently awaiting delivery of these devices.

ICU beds are going to be delivered to isolation hospitals across Poland.

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity already has bought equipment for over PLN 25 000 000 (over EUR 5 500 000). We signed contracts for the purchase of 200 ICU beds, 157 cardiac monitors, 47 medical ventilators, 50 000 PPE, 50 000 N95/KN95 protective masks. What is more, medical companies donated additional medical equipment in aid of our initiative. The charity received 30 infusion pumps, machine for chest compression, two pulse oximeters, and 25 ultrasonography machines.