Foundation donates ventilators to hospitals for ICU wards

Twenty machines are going to university hospitals in Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere and Turku to help treat intensive care patients during the coronavirus crisis.

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File picture showing interior of hospital / Credit; iStock

The Sigrid Jusélius Foundation is donating 20 ventilators to the universities of Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere and Turku to help treat intensive care patients during the coronavirus crisis.

The foundation has earmarked half a million euros for the donation which they say is exceptional, because the foundation usually supports medical research rather than direct hospital care.

“Given the exceptionally serious situation, we also decided to support practical patient work and facilitate the fight that medical professionals are currently waging against the coronavirus in our hospitals” says Thomas Wilhelmsson, President of the Foundation.

The first ventilators have already arrived in hospitals.

Sigrid Jusélius is Finland’s largest foundation that gives grants for medical research. This year a totaly of €19.7 million has already been donated.

“Medical research is emphasized in the management of the ongoing pandemic and external funding is becoming increasingly important” says Juha Kere, Chairman of the Foundation’s Medical Expert Committee.

“With declining public funding, there is a risk that the uptake of the latest research findings and treatments will slow down” he adds.