To date over 125,000 swabs have been donated to hospitals, medical centres in Poland, the US, India, all of which will are being used for COVID-19 testing
The wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reshape the world and create a new normal, in which we find ourselves developing new perspectives on how to operate business as usual. As a non-profit, our mission is focussed on the well-being of patients battling blood cancer or blood disorders, a group that has directly suffered from ripple effects of the current public health crisis. The patients we serve have seen their access to treatments become limited as hospitals across the country are forced to steer their resources and energies towards addressing the surge in COVID-19 cases. “In response to the pandemic we have moved mountains to ensure our patients around the globe continue to receive the stem cell transplants they need to survive,” explains Elke Neujahr, Global CEO, DKMS. “Nevertheless, we face the stark reality that until this crisis is over the people we serve will indirectly suffer.” With that in mind, at DKMS we have used our expertise, resources, and global network to do what we can to help address the current crisis, knowing that the sooner this pandemic is in the rearview mirror, the sooner our patients will receive the full level of care and dedication they deserve.
As an organisation, DKMS is uniquely positioned to address current needs. With a state-of-the-art laboratory, extensive knowledge of testing and medical care, and a global footprint, DKMS is able to pursue local initiatives while maintaining a macro perspective on the healthcare issues we face. To date our offices have donated over 125,000 swabs to hospitals and medical centres in Poland, the US, and India, all of which will be used for COVID-19 testing. In Germany, our DKMS Life Science Lab has been supporting in COVID-19 testing since March and is now carrying out up to 100,000 COVID-19 tests per week to aid regional institutions and governments contain the spread of the virus. In addition to the direct medical aid our offices have been providing, DKMS is deeply concerned for the financial strain that is being placed on countless families, many of whom have lost a steady source of income and thus face uncertainty when it comes to even the most basic of needs. For this reason in the US we have partnered with Panera and Feeding America to help raise funds to cover the cost of 500,000 meals for families currently facing hardship due to the ongoing lockdown.
Whether it’s medical aid, financial support, or even simply advice and guidance, as we did for the national government in the UK regarding donor and patient care during this pandemic, DKMS has worked tirelessly to help try and alleviate some of the burdens borne by those who are currently on the frontlines of this fight. “As an international non-profit organisation we have spent nearly 30 years experiencing first hand the extent and depth of the impact that global collaboration can have on the outcomes of those we serve,” said Neujahr. “Our incredible donors, who come from all walks of life and cultures, remind us everyday that compassion and collaboration are the keys to solving any issue.” The crisis we currently face has underscored the importance of our approach in ensuring wide-ranging and long-lasting effects on major health issues. As we slowly return to a state of normalcy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic we hope this lesson is not forgotten. The relationships and perspectives that have developed out of our collective fears have also given rise to a collective hope that the ‘new normal’ we will come to embrace is that of a global community, working together to accomplish the seemingly impossible. We know it can be done, because we are already doing it together.