During discussions with several department managers at hospital centers in the Grand Est region, they suggested that snacks and chocolate bars could be of great help to their staff. Chocolate, which is a delicious treat at any time, is very comforting, particularly when people are overworked. It is also a source of sugar and energy, and is convenient as a quick snack in between seeing patients. No sooner said than done. We launched the operation named “SNACKING” and found a supplier, placing an order for 33,000 chocolate bars of all kinds (such as Mars, Twix, Bounty and Kit Kat).
The snack food was dispatched to nine major hospital centers (in the Grand-Est region, as well as Saint-Étienne and Clermont-Ferrand), which then distributed it to their various establishments. The staff members, including nurses, nurse's aides and doctors, were very touched by our gesture of solidarity and thanked us by sending photographs and letters.
Once again, to support the country during these hard times, the OMERIN Foundation made donations to the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris – Hôpitaux de France, the French Red Cross, Secours Populaire, and Secours Catholique. The Covid-19 crisis did not spare the disadvantaged, who needed more help than usual during the lockdown. In partnership with the Lions Club de France, our Foundation contributed to the purchase of 20 digital tablets for Coronavirus patients at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center. This allowed the patients, who had come from other parts of the country where hospitals were full, to stay in contact with their families.
Our Foundation also joined forces with a group of 10 other companies in the local area to buy protective suits and masks for health-care workers at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center.In addition, we donated many protective masks (surgical and FFP2) to various local organizations, including the Ambert hospital center, the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center, the Nazareth nursing home in Puy-en-Velay, the St-Joseph nursing home in Arlanc, the ADMR and APAMAR (associations providing personal care services), as well as ambulance services and local authorities.
In Tunisia, Prince Medical Bizerte donated 150 food packages, containing milk, oil, flour, pasta, semolina, sugar, soap, bleach, and more, to disadvantaged residents, to help them get through the crisis with fewer worries. Protective suits and shoe covers were also ordered, to be distributed to the hospital in Bizerte.
It was reassuring to learn that many other companies also undertook solidarity actions to help people on the front line of this global health crisis.