Zurich Santander contributes with 10,068 N95 masks and 4 thousand surgical gowns.
Mexico City, 15 June 2020.
Banco Santander Mexico donated 600.000 euros worth of equipment for caring for patients and protection for medical staff to the Mexican National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) as part of its actions to help the community tackle covid-19.
Thanks to donations from staff, Santander Mexico provided INER with 1,250 ventilator circuits, 38 hospital beds, 100 vital signs monitors and 50 ventilator heating units to help care for patients, while Zurich Santander, in conjunction with Z Zurich Foundation, gave 10,068 3M N95 masks and 4 thousand surgical gowns to protect medical staff at INER.
Marcela Espinosa, head of Sustainability at Santander Mexico, said: "We are meeting our commitment to help. We are supporting the INER with equipment that will save lives and protect our "heroes in scrubs". As a Responsible Bank, we take part in a variety of initiatives that include donating medical equipment, protecting healthcare personnel, supporting customers, awarding scholarships and caring for vulnerable groups."
The equipment, received by Dr Jorge Salas, General Director of INER; Dr Víctor Manuel Mendoza, head of the Respiratory Therapy Service; Dr Patricio Javier Santillán Doherty, Medical Director, and CP Elizabeth Riqué Martínez, head of Administration, was delivered directly to INER via transport provided by the bank.
Santander participates in various initiatives for supporting the community, including being a member of a partnership of companies that will donate 70 thousand units of personal protection equipment for healthcare staff. It started by donating 21 thousand meals, also to medical staff, and has donated an app to the Mexico City and federal government to help diagnose covid-19, and has backed a special payment holiday programme for more than 500 thousand customers.
Through actions such as these, Banco Santander is reiterating its commitment to continuing to help communities tackle covid-19, as part of its work as a responsible bank.