Ukrainian business is backing medical workers in the conditions of quarantine imposed over the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic, and is actively buying lungs artificial ventilation machines and other required equipment.
In particular, IMC Agroholding CEO Alex Lissitsa told Interfax-Ukraine that he plans to send about UAH 20 million to the fight against COVID-19.
According to him, part of the funds has already gone to the purchase of a laboratory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 for Chernihiv region. In addition, according to Lissitsa, the IMC intends to purchase 20,000 tests for 11 district hospitals in Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy regions and 100,000 masks.
Agroprodservice of businessman Ivan Chaikivsky plans to send UAH 3 million to the budgets of district hospitals, where the company processes the land (Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kherson regions).
The Milk Alliance Group allocated UAH 100,000 for the purchase of necessary medical supplies and personal protective equipment and disinfectants to medical institutions in the areas where the group has enterprises: Zolotonosha district multidisciplinary hospital, Yahotyn central district hospital and Yahotyn primary health care center. Also, disinfectants, chlorine and washing solutions were provided to medical institutions.
Using the contribution of Board Chairman of Alef Corporation Vadym Yermolaev, Kiddo Charitable Foundation bought a Savina 300 artificial lungs ventilation machine, as well as respirators of protection class FFP2, FFP3 for the medical staff of Dnipropetrovsk region, thanks to which the number of masks in the region’s hospitals has quadrupled, but still remains insufficient.
The Darnitsa pharmaceutical company allocated funds for the purchase of three artificial lungs ventilation machines for Ukrainian hospitals as part of the initiative of the Zagoriy Foundation and the Ukrainian Philanthropic Marketplace to raise funds for the purchase of 50 artificial lungs ventilation machines.
Using the funds of businessman Pavlo Fuks, two digital X-ray diagnostic complexes OPERA RT 20 with a total value of UAH 13.4 million will be installed in City Hospital No.17 and Kharkiv City Clinical Multidisciplinary Hospital No.25 within 5-7 days.
OKKO will finance 20,000 trips for medical workers through the Uber service, 20,000 trips through Uklon and 10,000 through Bolt.
Restaurant chains Tarantino Family, Mafia, MisterCat, PapaFeta and This is Pivbar organized the delivery of home cooked food for Kyiv doctors. These restaurant chains work with the Oleksandrivska Hospital, the Institute of Neurosurgery named after Romodanov, Children’s Hospital No. 2, Children’s Hospital located at 23, Dehtiarivska Street, and Hospital No. 4 at 17, Solomianska Street. The plans of cooperation of restaurateurs are to increase delivery to 2,000-3,000 hot lunches daily. For these purposes, a separate transport, separate kitchens and separate couriers are provided.
The mobile communications operator lifecell provided healthcare workers with free 20 GB and 1,500 minutes of calls in Ukraine for the period until April 30, 2020.
The Kyivstar mobile operator provided free access to the Doctor Online application with the ability to consult a doctor via chat, audio or video call (previously the cost of the consultation in the application was UAH 50).
The Shafa marketplace launched a charity marathon #rozvantazhuyus in order to support health workers. Marketplace will direct all its profits from the sale of things of the marathon participants from March 24 to March 27 to the urgent needs of hospitals. The funds will be transferred to the Tvoya Opora charitable foundation.
The charitable foundation Lifelover, Garik Korogodsky and Tina Mikhailovskaya, provided 2,000 grocery sets for elderly people. Separately, the Department of Social Policy of the Kyiv City Administration in conjunction with the Lifelover foundation will provide 390 children with disabilities, living only with their mothers, with essential kits.
The NOVUS trading network has provided 10,000 essential kits.
Arzinger Law Firm created the Anti-Crisis HelpDesk, highlighting a team of specialists who can be contacted on issues related to COVID-19, economic and other challenges that may have consequences for business.
The Barristers Lawyers Association during quarantine provides free advice to employees of healthcare institutions on criminal and administrative liability, as well as on the observance of the legal rights and interests of health workers.
The microcredit company Moneyveo announced a donation of UAH 3 million for the purchase of artificial lungs ventilation machines for Ukrainian hospitals.
Accordbank set a rate of 0.001% on previously granted consumer loans to health workers and canceled all types of fees under contracts.
PrivatBank allocated EUR 1 million to supply 28 hospitals with artificial lungs ventilation machines and other equipment necessary for overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four machines have already been delivered to hospitals in Kyiv, Odesa and Lysychansk.
A Ukrainian National Guard’s Antonov An-26 aircraft has delivered medical items to deal with the coronavirus infection from China to Lviv, a report posted on the Lviv International Airport’s Facebook account says.
“Arrived! Express tests for diagnosing coronavirus, medical facemasks of various level of protection, coverall suits and other articles necessary for countering epidemic spread,” the report says.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct (MHP) allocates UAH 15 million to purchase 19 artificial lung ventilators and personal protective means in Vinnytsia region.
MHP said on its Facebook page that a representative of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration and the agricultural holding developed an operational plan to counter coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
“A commission has been created, the headquarters will begin work in the coming days,” the company said.
According to MHP, a shared strategy for COVID-19 prevention has already been developed. MHP purchases 19 artificial lung ventilators with a patient’s monitor and an oxygen concentrator for all hospitals in Vinnytsia region, where there are departments of infectious disease.
In addition, the purchase of personal protective equipment will be provided for Ladyzhyn city hospital, Tulchyn and Trostianets regional hospitals.
“MHP will also assist in the search and acquisition of all necessary personal protective equipment and medical devices, by involving its own specialists from the logistics department,” the company said.
MHP is the largest producer of poultry in Ukraine. It is also engaged in production of grains, sunflower oil and meat.
DC Ukraine LLC, which manages a drogerie store chain in Ukraine, has said that their stores were illegally closed over quarantine under a decision of local authorities.
According to the press service, in some regions local authorities are trying to close the network stores during quarantine. At the same time, the main range of goods at Watsons stores consists of essential goods, disinfectants, hygiene products and household goods.
“Guided by the appeal of the President of Ukraine to the ministries, heads of regional administrations, local self-government, heads of enterprises on ensuring the smooth operation of grocery stores, household goods stores, gas stations, pharmacies, banking institutions, insurance companies, a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and also taking into account WHO recommendations and the practice of others countries, Watsons continues to work, adhering to the requirements of hygiene standards,” the company said in the press release.
According to the company, the closure of stores selling essential goods is a violation of the rights of people in need of hygiene and disinfection during a pandemic.
“Given all of the above arguments, we emphasize once again the need to continue the work of the drogerie segment. The goal of the Watsons network is to ensure uninterrupted and safe access of the population to the products necessary for maintaining the vital activity,” the company said.
Watsons is the largest chain of beauty and health products stores in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government has imposed a nationwide state of emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic for 30 days, until April 24.
“We are extending the quarantine and imposing a state of emergency on the state of Ukraine, throughout its entire territory, for 30 days until April 14, 2020,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Wednesday.
This measure could be extended if necessary, he said.
Ukrtelecom together with Iskratel, the Slovenian telecommunications company, and SID Bank, the Slovenian development bank, signed a new agreement on the development of fiber-optic Internet networks (GPON) in rural zone of Ukraine, Ukrtelecom said on Monday, Mach 23.
According to the company, the new project is designed for two years and includes more than 200 settlements in 13 regions of Ukraine. Total investments in the network construction project will amount to about UAH 200 million.
“The new project is the continuation of a long-term cooperation between Ukrtelecom and Iskratel in the development of high-speed optical access networks. Within its implementation, more than 2,000 kilometers of fiber-optic communication lines will be laid and modern switching equipment assembled in Slovenia at Iskratel production centers will be installed,” reads the statement.
According to Ukrtelecom, as a result of new network construction, hundreds of thousands people of the villages of Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Odesa, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Rivne, Kherson, Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Luhansk regions will get access to the Internet at speeds to 1 Gbps, to digital interactive television and other services of the company. This type of connection will allow communities to implement the full range of digital services.
The project includes settlements in most of which it was previously not possible to connect to wire Internet.
“Ukrtelecom as a national infrastructure telecoms operator of Ukraine has a unique opportunity to involve European financial and production partners in programs to bridge the digital divide in Ukraine,” Yuriy Kurmaz, the director of the company, said.
At this stage, the construction of the network is conducted according to the plan, namely work has begun in Kharkiv region.
The company said that the situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic did not affect the planned work.
