Unilever Vietnam standing next to health professionals in virus battle

Unilever is just one of many companies at the forefront of reaching out to help healthcare staff and others affected by the ongoing crisis

The items included Lifebuoy handwash, P/S and Close-up toothbrushes, toothpaste, Clear shampoo, and Vim, Cif, Sunlight, and OMO detergents.

The hospital has become a focal point during the pandemic in Hanoi, with more than 20 coronavirus sufferers. This can cause cross-contamination within the hospital and can affect the health of local people.

Hanoi authorities and the city’s healthcare sector have immediately employed the most urgent and stringent measures so as to detect all affected sources, and gradually eradicate the pandemic.

Do Thai Vuong, vice president of Unilever Vietnam’s Sustainable Development and Communications, said, “Upon learning that Bach Mai Hospital was in critical shortage of personal hygienic products for patients, doctors, and nurses, as well as caregivers, Unilever promptly mobilised a great volume of hygienic products in order to support more than 5,000 people at the hospital at this critical time.”

“Unilever wants to contribute to supporting the hospital in particular and the healthcare sector generally in their efforts to combat COVID-19,” he added.

Unilever presents Bach Mai Hospital with items to support staff and patients

It is reported that out of those 5,000 people currently at the hospital, about 800 patients cannot be discharged or moved to other hospitals. Bach Mai Hospital is facing many difficulties as thousands of people are stuck and cannot go out to purchase personal goods and items. Everything, from toothbrushes to toothpaste, is provided by the hospital.

Unilever Vietnam’s product donation to Bach Mai Hospital is part of the company’s recently-launched “Stay Strong Vietnam” initiative, which is a wide-ranging set of measures to support the community and people in the fight against the pandemic. The initiative is implemented through partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front. Under this initiative, Unilever commits VND50 billion ($2.17 million) for implementing a series of programmes for assorted groups of beneficiaries, firstly to fight against COVID-19, reduce contamination in the community, and then create long-term and sustainable effects in protecting people’s health and improving hygienic conditions and living standards for Vietnamese people.

Specifically, in the “Stay Strong Vietnam” initiative, Unilever will together with the MoH build up a programme on raising community awareness and improving hygienic habits of Vietnamese people in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases. Besides that, the company has also offered more than 550 tonnes of products to over 1.6 million people across 3,000 hospitals, schools, isolation areas.

In addition, in the “Stay Strong Vietnam” initiative, Unilever has continued installing Lifebuoy field handwashing stations in major cities with a vision to assisting more than three million people in maintaining their habit of washing hands with soap to fight the pandemic. The company has also installed Pureit water purifiers at field hospitals, schools, and households, bringing clean water to more than five million people throughout the country.

“Part of Unilever’s vision is to create positive social impacts, and it has never been more important for us to deliver on this commitment as now, when the COVID19 pandemic is affecting lives and livelihoods in the country. With these contributions, we stand in solidarity with the rest of the country so that we can fight this disease together, and emerge from this difficult time stronger than ever,” Vuong said.