OMV Petrom grants EUR 10 mn sponsorship to the first specialized Pediatric Oncology Hospital
OMV Petrom grants EUR 10 mn sponsorship to the Dăruiește Viață Association project for the construction of the first Pediatric Oncology and Radiotherapy Hospital in Romania.
“We, as OMV Petrom, are very proud to support the construction of the first pediatric oncology hospital in Romania. Every child deserves a chance in life and I was truly moved to see so many Romanians supporting the hospital cause with individual donations. There are causes that may seem impossible to accomplish and it takes a lot of courage to get started. However, when they are important to a great number of people, they can come true”, said Christina Verchere, CEO OMV Petrom.
„We started this project from zero, but with confidence that the Romanians are able to take lives into their own hands and build a hospital for children suffering from cancer. We`ve built this project brick by brick, thanks to the extraordinary support of people who sent SMS’s and donated online, as well as to the companies that sponsored us. Every contribution, no matter how small, has helped us move forward and reach this moment in which we can get this massive support from OMV Petrom. It is certainly the largest sponsorship received by Dăruiește Viață for the Pediatric Oncology Hospital and it helps us finalize the project within the planned schedule”, said Carmen Uscatu, cofounder Dăruiește Viață Association.
„OMV Petrom's decision is a real chance for children with cancer in Romania and their families and a confirmation of the investment made by each of our donors and our sponsors. It is a proof of solidarity and of how strong we can all be if we stand together, however big and small. We wish other companies or private donors follow the example given by OMV Petrom, just like OMV Petrom followed the example of hundreds of thousands of Romanians and many other companies”, said cofounder Oana Gheorghiu, Dăruiește viață Association.
Of the EUR 10 mn, EUR 5 mn will be used to purchase the medical equipment necessary to diagnose and treat childhood cancer: a radiotherapy device, a CT (computer-tomography) machine and equipment for the operating area as well as training of the medical and auxiliary staff of the hospital. The other EUR 5 mn will be used for electrical and sanitary installations and interior design works.
Last year, in OMV and Petrom filling stations all over the country, more than EUR 50,000 was collected via donations from customers. The campaign will continue over the next two years so that anyone who walks into OMV and Petrom filling stations can contribute to the finalization of the hospital.
About the first Pediatric Oncology Hospital in Romania
The Oncology and Pediatric Radiotherapy Hospital will be the first hospital specialized in pediatric oncology in Romania and will function within Marie Curie Hospital in Bucharest. Patients will have access to all the pediatric specialties required for the holistic treatment of children with cancer (surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, neurosurgery, ENT, etc.). The new hospital will be able to treat more than 300 children with cancer each year, as well as to perform over 9,600 oncological and non-oncological surgeries.
Dăruiește Viață Association started the hospital construction project in 2017, relying on private funds (private and corporate donations). The construction works began in 2018. The project will continue with the utilities, interior design works as well as the acquisition of special equipment and staff training.
The hospital will have 6 floors and a total area of 12,000 square meters with a new operating area with 7 surgery rooms and dedicated departments: surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, hemato-oncology and intensive care. Dăruiește Viață Association aims to inaugurate the hospital in 2020. It will function as a public hospital within the Marie Curie Hospital, but at Western Europe high standards in terms of administrative and medical procedures.
It is estimated that in Romania, 5,000 children are suffering from cancer and that each year 500 other children are diagnosed with this disease. More than half of them are treated in Bucharest, in the two existing centers (Marie Curie and IOB), which cannot fully meet the needs.