Novartis Group supports healthcare in Romania with approx. 480,000 US dollars, to fight COVID-19 pandemic

Novartis Group has donated approximately 380,000 US dollars (1.7 million lei) to the Red Cross organisation to buy protective equipment, medical goods and devices, necessary during this time for keeping the medical personnel safe and for treating patients.

Romanian healthcare system authorities will coordinate the distribution of the resources to the hospitals that need them most, reads a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

Moreover, the Novartis Romania Group said it will donate 50,000 US dollars (220,000 lei) to five hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, to financially support the acquisition of protective materials, medical goods and devices.

The company will also donate 100,000 doses of azithromycin of 250 mg, produced by Sandoz, to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases - Prof. Dr. Matei Bals and the national network of hospitals fighting on the front line against the COVID-19. This quantity is enough to treat 5,000 patients.

The Novartis Romania Group donates 100,000 doses of azithromycin of 250 mg, produced by Sandoz, to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases - Prof. Dr. Matei Bals and the national network of hospitals fighting on the front line against the COVID-19. This quantity is enough to treat 5,000 COVID-19 infected patients. According to the company, azithromycin is a drug recommended by the World Health Organisation part of a therapeutic combination that proved to be efficient in other states in treating COVID-19. This donation was possible with the support of the production unit from Targu Mures, where the drug is being produced for Romania and for other 60 countries in Europe, North America and other countries.

"We are facing a continuous and always increasing need for adequate treatment for the patients who have been admitted to the hospitals with COVID-19. We appreciate the gesture and mobilisation of the Novartis/Sandoz to support, through this donation, the treatment of 5,000 patients with chronic diseases associated with COVID-19, which need azithromycin in a therapeutic combination that have already given results," stated the head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Matei Bals, Adrian Streinu-Cercel.