The goal is to meet the urgent demand for ventilators, test systems and personal protective equipment, in hospitals' fight against covid-19

Lisbon, 3 April 2020
Santander has already authorised an investment of more than EUR 600,000 through several projects to purchase medical supplies to improvement the equipment of Portuguese healthcare institutions to face the covid-19 outbreak.  

Santander will be involved in a project to donate ventilators to the Portuguese national health service, which will be installed in the intensive care unit of several hospitals.  

The bank has also joined the initiative by the Portuguese bank association (Associação Portuguese de Bancos) to donate 100 ventilators and 100 monitors to the national health service. 

Additionally, Santander is supporting the "SOS Coronavírus" initiative. AEP (Associação Empresarial de Portugal – Portugal's business association) opened an account with Santander to raise funds for covid-19 under the initiative, set up in collaboration with the Portuguese general medical council. The funds will be used to buy equipment needed in surgeries and hospitals to treat and control covid-19. This includes protective equipment for healthcare workers (gloves, masks, suits and alcohol gel), ventilators, monitors and other technical equipment. 

Donations should be made to account number PT 50 0018 0003 5209 5486 0209 1.   

The Bank had already joined tech4covid19 to support the "Projeto Material Hospitalar" with the goal of sourcing personal protective equipment, ventilators and covid-19 testfor healthcare workers. At this stage, the Bank has helped to purchase 50,000 P2 masks.  

Santander joined the fund-raising campaign "Unidos por Portugal" set up by SIC Esperança and the Portuguese Football Federation. This initiative is supported by the national team's leading players and some of the most popular figures from the TV channel. Any funds raised will be used to buy medical supplies and personal protective equipment for the social organisations in greatest need of help.  

In the Azores, Santander donated test equipment for rapid virus screening and subsequent medical response. This equipment will be vital in helping the regional health system reach six times its current capacity for covid-19 testing. 

These initiatives by Santander Portugal fall under its Responsible Banking policy whereby the Bank seeks to develop community outreach projects and, in this specific case, efforts to fight the coronavirus.