Dear AmCham Romania Members,

No one predicted that we would face such a crisis.

The evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe had us worried. But the civil society in Romania is proactive and started mapping needs and equipping hospitals and medical units in Romania so that they can be prepared to intervene quickly.

As you may be aware of, it is an impressive taskforce from the civil society and the business sector that is involved and we are treating this issue with great importance. We, at ARC, started a fundraising campaign for a rapid intervention: ARC's Emergency Fund, which we carried out with the advice, and in coordination with Dăruiește Viață Association and in close partnership with the Community Foundation Movement in Romania in order to distribute resources directly where they are needed.

BRD GSG, Vodafone Romania, Betfair, but also individual donors from Romania and the diaspora have joined our cause from the beginning. In the first days we managed to raise 500,000 euros, which we allocated in:

• Arad and Timișoara to purchase 15,000 tests and 2 testing machines. Arad and Timisoara are the entry points for Romanians returning home from Italy and they need great capacity to test in order to hold in quarantine the people who are carrying the virus.
• Cluj Napoca Hospital recieved consumables that will unlock 3 existing testing equipment  so that the rythm of testing can grow.
• Fagaras and Buzau were able to purchase artificial breathing machines thatare vital in treating really taough cases. In these cities, Iasi and Valcea we also managed to fund protetctive equipement for doctors.

The needs in the field are updated every hour and we need resources to be able to intervene quickly.

Our priorities are as we continue: to provide medical units with ventilation equipment, protective equipment and to ensure that there is an infrastructure for organizations that provide social services for the people who neet to stay home because they are vulnerable or a risk to others.

We write this email to you because we need help in order to have the most effective intervention. Each of us has the power to help a person. But only together can we help communities. Gathered together, our resources have a greater impact and can cover more needs.

We will keep you updated with the evolution of the fund and our intervention.

Thank you for always being with us,

Madalina

Madalina Marcu

Director  dezvoltare  resurse

0724218069

www.arcromania.ro