The press writes almost every day that Russian medical workers who deal with COVID-19 patients lack personal protective equipment. The journalist Irina Shikhman even devoted an hour-long documentary to this problem "The Virus of Silence: What It Is Strictly Forbidden to Talk to Doctors." It tells that the employees of some hospitals are forced to provide themselves with equipment - they are forbidden to talk about its absence and ask for help from outside. However, the personnel who decide to do this, as a rule, receive a response not only from specialized structures, but also from fashion brands.
They send both personal protective equipment and hand sanitization to hospitals, as well as basic clothing, shoes and cosmetics, which greatly simplify the working day of health workers. Some fashion companies do this through the Ministry of Industry and Trade, others through charitable organizations, and still others directly, controlling the delivery process in each case.
For example, the Bosco di Ciliegi manufactory works with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which, with the beginning of quarantine, was redesigned for the production of PPE. At first, she produced 1 million medical masks, after which she began to develop reusable protective suits. As the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, who visited the Bosco di Ciliegi manufactory, said, production should reach a volume of up to 3 thousand suits per day, and equipment can be used up to 100 times.
1 of 8 Bosco Manufactories in Kaluga © press service of Bosco Manufactory in Kaluga © press service of Bosco Manufactory in Kaluga © press service
Russian divisions of international brands and domestic designers cooperate with foundations, who decided to help doctors despite their own problems. For example, H&M donated basic clothing, underwear, towels and other textiles for a total of RUB 25 million. in favor of the Russian Red Cross, the All Together Association and the Faith and Mercy foundations, which will distribute humanitarian aid to medical workers, hospice patients, low-income families and socially vulnerable groups of citizens. And the Russian brand Zasport has entered into a partnership with the Thank You Foundation, which supports physicians who find themselves in difficult life situations. They received tracksuits that are comfortable to wear under PPE.
The Russian division of the Danish footwear manufacturer Ecco is working with the Sozidanie Foundation, which has launched the Help Doctors Help campaign. Within its framework, Ecco donated 400 pairs of Ecco Soft and Vibration men's and women's sneakers to the staff of the Tarusa Hospital and Solnechnogorsk Central District Hospital. The shoe follows the natural curves of the foot, provides cushioning and helps absorb excess moisture, which together make it easier to stay on your feet. Clarins, a cosmetic company, also cooperates with the Sozidanie Foundation, which has sent 2,500 moisturizing creams to the capital's hospitals. They save hands from irritation, redness and excessive dryness caused by wearing gloves and using a hand sanitizer.
Ecco Soft sneakers handed over to the staff of the Tarusa hospital and the Solnechnogorsk Central Regional Hospital © press service
Other beauty companies also organized the supply of cosmetics to the capital's hospitals. Mixit, which was one of the first to repurpose production for the production of antiseptic agents (some of them went on sale, the other was distributed through the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation, the House with a Lighthouse children's hospice and the Believe in Dream and Old Age in Joy funds), also donated hand creams, revitalizing masks and patches to help relieve eye strain and soften the effects of protective gear. At the end of April, Mixit sent cosmetics to the First City Hospital, N. V. N. V. Sklifosovsky and RNIMU them. N. I. Pirogov and planned to be sent to the city clinical hospital No. 52 and the National Medical Research Center for Surgery named after V. I. A. V. Vishnevsky. The total amount of the company's donations is estimated at 3 million rubles.
In turn, the Russian division of the American brand Kiehl's with the support of the Rus charity donated personal hygiene products to the city clinical hospital No. 15 named after O. M. Filatova, who is also engaged in the reception and treatment of those infected with the coronavirus, and the brands L'Oreal, La Roche-Posay and Faberlic concentrated on the production of sanitizers.
Mixit laboratory staff © press service
Hospital No. 15 also received 1000 pieces of clothing from the Russian brand Henderson. These are trousers and T-shirts that health workers can wear under PPE, and classic shirts. As representatives of the company said, they directly contacted the clinics and received feedback from the employees of this particular hospital. “The administration reacted very quickly and clearly voiced the list of clothes that are really needed in the current situation. In fact, 2-3 days passed from the moment of our appeal to the dispatch. When the clinic has a real need, and we have the opportunity to help, the process goes quickly and smoothly,”commented Henderson.
Direct assistance is also provided by Levi's, Samsonite and Uniqlo. The first sent 1600 units of basic things to the capital's medical institutions, the second - 300 backpacks of the American Tourister subsidiary brand, and the third - 5000 T-shirts and tops, created using the AIRism technology. Thanks to her, clothes imitate a second skin, quickly absorb and remove moisture and minimize unpleasant odors, which makes them almost indispensable in a 24-hour hospital environment.
One of the American Tourister backpacks handed over to the staff of the City Clinical Hospital No. 40 in Kommunarka © press service
Most of the support goes to the staff of the city clinical hospital No. 40 in Kommunarka, which was one of the first to receive patients with suspected COVID-19 and to treat the sick. Shoes from adidas and Crocs brands were sent there, among other things. To date, Crocs clogs have also received the N. V. N. V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1 and hospitals No. 15, 50 and 67.
At the beginning of April, Aizel attracted attention to the problems of regional clinics facing a shortage of PPE. She promised to donate 10% of daily proceeds to the Doctors on the Frontline project launched by the Pravmir charitable organization. For the entire time of the campaign, more than 33 million rubles were collected, for which 13,500 FFP3 respirators, 4,650 FFP2 respirators, 12,500 medical masks, 5,000 pairs of gloves, 4,680 anti-plague suits, 4,280 high shoe covers, 760 goggles and 50 containers with disinfectants (2.5 kg each). As of May 8, the Pravmir Foundation received applications for PPE from 77 hospitals in Russia.
According to statistics, Russia came in second in terms of the number of people infected with COVID-19, overtaking the UK, Spain and Italy. More than 230 thousand people fell ill in the country, more than 43 thousand people recovered, more than 2 thousand people died. The largest number of infected people is in Moscow (about 121 thousand people). Unofficial data on Russian doctors who died while rescuing patients with coronavirus are reflected in the Memory List. As of May 12, it has 160 people.
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