MUNICH, Germany, Jun 14, 2021 – The Siemens Caring Hands e.V. charity is making a long-term contribution toward fighting the pandemic in India and is providing 100 oxygen concentrators to hospitals in Bengaluru, Goa and Chennai. The concentrators are to be delivered by mid‑June 2021 to facilitate the treatment of COVID-19 patients. India is one of the countries hardest hit by the corona crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that about 29 million people have contracted COVID-19 in India since the pandemic began and that about 350,000 of them have died.
“Globally, the pandemic has impacted human lives in an unprecedented way”, says Matthias Rebellius, Board Member Siemens AG and CEO Smart Infrastructure. “The many casualties in this Corona crisis in India are a humanitarian disaster. Siemens wants to make a significant contribution here to help as many people as possible. The oxygen concentrators draw in the ambient air and enrich the oxygen it contains. No further resources, such as gas cylinders, are required and patients can still be supplied with oxygen in the best way possible.”
Christian Kaeser, Chairman of Siemens Caring Hands adds: “With the donations made by Siemens AG and its employees, Siemens Caring Hands wants to provide help where it is needed most. I am very grateful that we can now make a substantial contribution with the oxygen concentrators that will relieve the burden on hospitals and facilitate treatment.”
In total, Siemens Caring Hands is donating €215,000 to Caritas international, which in turn is using these funds to make the oxygen concentrators available. Caritas India is helping to transport and distribute the equipment to the hospitals and will teach the medical personnel how to use the devices. “With the generous support of Siemens Caring Hands, we can make an even stronger contribution as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in India,” said Oliver Müller, International Director of Caritas Germany. “On behalf of our Indian partners, and especially on behalf of the patients whose suffering is alleviated by the oxygen concentrators, I would like to express my sincere thanks.”
Oxygen concentrators are in short supply worldwide. The concentrators continuously produce pure oxygen from the indoor air. These devices are currently an important component in the treatment of COVID-19 patients – in particular, in areas where hospital capacities are exhausted. Through Siemens AG’s supply chains, Siemens Caring Hands was still able to provide 100 large-scale units with a capacity of ten liters per minute for the Indian healthcare system. These devices are primarily needed for treating patients who are seriously ill and need large amounts of oxygen.
At the initiative of Siemens AG and with the support of Siemens Caring Hands, a COVID-19 relief fund was established in March 2020 to provide charitable support to people affected by the crisis worldwide. Siemens Caring Hands has been using the donations it receives to support specific charitable aid projects in corona hotspots like India. In addition, Siemens entities from all around the world have been making donations to provide additional aid: These funds will be used to provide medical kits and food to first-level treatment centers, to support hospitals with medical equipment and to provide food and hygiene kits to affected families. Furthermore, solutions that use solar power to enable hygienic use and reuse of face masks will be made available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Siemens has donated around €3 million for India, and the company has committed to donating another €1.5 million.
About Siemens AG
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power. In fiscal 2020, which ended on September 30, 2020, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €55.3 billion and net income of €4.2 billion. As of September 30, 2020, the company had around 293,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
About Siemens Caring Hands
Siemens Caring Hands e.V. is a charitable association that was founded at the initiative of Siemens AG in 2001. The association is especially active in providing support in major emergencies and pursues charitable and non-profit purposes. These include backing assistance for disaster victims, supporting fire / disaster / civil protection and promoting development of the public health system. The charity was established because Siemens AG Management and employees wanted to provide direct, uncomplicated assistance to victims of the September 11 attacks. Siemens Caring Hands also provided assistance in response to the massive tsunami in Asia in 2004, the historic flood in Germany in 2013 and numerous other natural disasters.
About International Department of Caritas Germany
The International Department of Caritas Germany – within Germany called “Caritas international” – performs the international relief work of Germany’s largest Catholic welfare organisation. https://twitter.com/caritas_ci