Gazprom today donated to the Government of St. Petersburg 200,000 biological protection suits purchased for the doctors who are fighting against the spread of the new coronavirus.
The suits were manufactured in China, where they demonstrated their effectiveness during contacts with COVID-19 carriers, and comply with the St. Petersburg Healthcare Committee’s requirements for this type of clothing.
A total of 4,000 boxes containing the suits were shipped to Moscow by air. After passing through customs, the boxes were transported to St. Petersburg by a convoy of motor vehicles on May 3 in order to be distributed among healthcare facilities.
The biological protection suits will be delivered to some 30 hospitals based in St. Petersburg, including the Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, the Alexandrovskaya Hospital, Filatov Children’s City Clinical Hospital No. 5, the Hospital for Veterans of Wars, the Pokrovskaya Hospital, and other healthcare facilities. This will help significantly reduce the risk of disease for doctors and medical personnel.
In addition, Gazprom and its affiliate Expoforum International are taking part in the establishment of a temporary hospital for patients with mild cases of COVID-19 at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. On May 2, the inpatient facility started admitting patients. At the request of Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg, the Company made the decision to hand over another three groups of Lenexpo pavilions – 8 and 8A; 5 and 5A; 1, 2 and 3 – to the city free of charge so as to expand the hospital further. Demolition works are already underway in Pavilions 8 and 8A.
“I am grateful to Gazprom and to Alexey Miller personally. It is a substantial contribution to the fight against the coronavirus. Gazprom is not only providing the city with monetary assistance but also finding and purchasing the required devices and protective equipment for doctors, as well as handing over Lenexpo premises free of charge to convert them into a hospital. This is enormously helpful and supportive to the city in an hour of need,” said Alexander Beglov.
Background
On April 25, the conversion of the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex in St. Petersburg into a temporary hospital for patients with mild cases of COVID-19 was completed with active support from Expoforum International, an affiliate of Gazprom. Pavilion No. 7, which was provided to the city by Gazprom free of charge, was converted into a hospital in record time – a mere week.
Across the nearly 11,000-square-meter area, cubicles for 1,000 people have been set up, with restrooms and showers along the perimeter, as well as two computed tomography (CT) zones that have their walls lined with lead sheets for protection against radiation.
On their part, the units of Gazprom also ensure the uninterrupted operation of utilities, clean the premises, and guard the outside perimeter of the hospital.
On April 30, the Members of the Gazprom Management Committee donated their personal funds in the amount of their respective monthly salaries in order to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The funds were donated to the Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, a state budgetary healthcare institution in St. Petersburg.
