Throughout the coronavirus crisis, Polyus has been providing ongoing support to medical centers in the fight against COVID-19.
Magadan region
In the Magadan region, Polyus partnered with another gold mining company, Pavlik Gold, to donate a new CT (computer tomography) scanner to the Tenkinsky central clinic.
Pavel Vorsin, Managing Director of Polyus Magadan, commented:“We will only be able to cope with COVID-19 through concerted and collaborative efforts. The preventative measures in place during the pandemic are essential, and include strict compliance with the epidemiological rules, as well as the ready availability of special medical equipment, enabling the faster diagnosis of diseases at an early stage. Computer tomography is a key technology for this purpose.”
In addition, Polyus Magadan has donated towards the renovation of the Tenkinsky central clinic. The renovated clinic will have an increased number of beds, enabling the provision of a larger volume of high quality medical aid.
Discussing Polyus’ contributions, Denis Revutsky, Head of the Tenkinsky District Municipality, commented:“Polyus Magadan has been a major social partner of the Tenkinsky urban district for a long time. Thanks to the company’s support, the district’s project to improve living conditions in the area has been made possible, rather than remaining as a concept on paper. Successful long-term cooperation has resulted in the implementation of ambitious municipal improvement plans, as well as providing support for housing services, utilities, education and healthcare in the district.
We are seeing tangible improvements to the district. Without Polyus’ assistance, it wouldn’t have been possible to renovate the rooves and facades of apartment houses, and it would have been harder to relocate people to new accommodation. We wouldn’t have been able to give the memorial dates and festive occasions the celebrations of scale and grandeur that they deserve, and the children of the Tenkinsky district would not have had the opportunity to study in such well-equipped classrooms.
On top of this, it’s hard to imagine being able to upgrade our district clinic to be in line with the latest coronavirus-related requirements for healthcare facilities without this support. The extensive work which has been carried out in 2020 is still ongoing, and we already have a lot of plans in the pipeline. On behalf of the municipality and the people of the Tenskinsky urban district, and of course myself, I extend wholehearted gratitude to Polyus for their financial support and assistance.”
Krasnoyarsk region
Polyus has also sponsored a COVID-19 lab testing facility, which recently opened in the town of Achinsk in the Krasnoyarsk region.
In Achinsk, a laboratory doing bacteriological, molecular and genetic tests (as well as COVID-19 tests) has been opened on the premises of the Krasnoyarsk regional AIDS center. The lab is capable of processing up to 250 tests a day, and once it fully ramps up to full capacity, the number of daily tests will reach 400.
Polyus donated RUB 25.5 million to the Krasnoyarsk regional AIDS center to assist with the purchasing of new equipment. The funds provided were spent on PPE, additional lab equipment and consumables.
At the opening ceremony, Marina Bichurina, Deputy Health Care Minister of the Krasnoyarsk region, commented:“New medical equipment will enable the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 infections, as well as the ability to test for other infections at the same time.”
The coronavirus testing lab in Achinsk is a department of the Krasnoyarsk regional AIDS center. The lab’s general purpose is to test for HIV and other coexisting diseases, and following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic it will continue to provide these services for medical centers in the region.