- Collaborates with Thai CoCare to provide positive pressure cabinets for COVID-19 testing in at-risk communities, ensuring the medical workforce identifies patients in a safe environment
- Supports communities affected by the pandemic through 12 foundations and communities across the country
DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, continues its efforts to connect people and improve lives on Global Volunteer Day, a day DHL promotes the spirit of volunteering among employees to make positive contributions to society. Apart from other CSR activities carried out during the pandemic, DHL Express Thailand donated 19 positive pressure cabinets valued at 1.2 million baht to Thai CoCare to enable them to conduct COVID-19 tests in a safe environment.
Easy to fold, assemble, and move around, these lightweight cabinets enable medical staff to quickly, conveniently and proactively detect COVID-19 in at-risk community areas and reduce the risks of infection. Furthermore, DHL Express offered 300 care packages containing dried, calorie-dense foods to COVID-19 patients before their admission to hospital. DHL Express volunteers were also assigned to support the Thai CoCare Team in proactive screening.
Thai CoCare is a group of over 2,000 volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, and various medical personnels providing medical advice and mental support through the CoCare application to COVID-19 positive patients while waiting for hospital beds or in-home isolation. In parallel, the group offers proactive nasal-swab COVID-19 testing to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in communities.
Mr. Herbert Vongpusanachai, Managing Director of DHL Express Thailand and Head of Indochina, said, “Over the past two years, nothing has been more important for us than to help each other, especially those most affected by the pandemic. Responding to this important mission, DHL Express has organized several activities that demonstrate our social responsibility. We are proud that our employees automatically volunteer, with empathy becoming part of their DNA. Our employees across all departments have used their talents to help affected people and communities over the past year. Besides, we continue serving our purpose ‘Connecting People, Improving Lives’ through our GO programs: Go Green, Go Help, Go Teach and GoTrade , that contribute to the communities in which we live and operate in as part of ESG sustainability.”
Dr. Kongkiat Kespechara, Founder of Thai CoCare, said, “The unresolved COVID-19 situation means that active surveillance and provision of medical treatment for positive cases are still needed to stop the outbreak. The COVID-19 test cabinets provided by DHL Express Thailand are very useful for our screening. They allow us to reduce the use of PPE supplies and, more importantly, reduce the risk to healthcare professionals. With these cabinets, our medical team can work more safely and confidently, and fully assist the people.”
These positive pressure cabinets for COVID-19 testing are appropriately equipped with necessary systems and pressure control, allowing healthcare professionals to stay safely in the examination room in uncontaminated air. The interior is a closed space with air pressure adjustment and a door that closes tightly for safety, and there are sealed holes through which to insert the hands to perform the procedure. These cabinets can accommodate three staff to screen three people simultaneously and do away with the need for the medical workforce to wear a full PPE suit. This accelerates and facilitates the screening process, and increases the level of service capacity.
To date, the 19 positive pressure cabinets have been sent to Thai CoCare and allocated to Siriraj Hospital, the Urban Institute for Disease Prevention and Control, National Health Foundation, The Association of Medical Technologist of Thailand, Khlong Toey Dee Jung Group, Sanpatong Hospital Chiang Mai Province, Kongrha Hospital Phatthalung Province, Kuandon Hospital Satun Province, as well as Provincial Public Health Offices in Suratthani and Krabi Province and three border provinces.
In addition, DHL Express Thailand employees have prepared survival bags containing dried foods with cards bearing kind messages and distributed them to over 12 foundations and communities nationwide, as well as donated more than 5,000 kilograms of rice through various foundations. Moreover, 25 DHL Express Customer Service employees have volunteered to work at the government’s call center and provided mental support and assistance to 8,042 people.
DHL also plays an important role in vaccine distribution. The company has so far delivered more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to over 160 countries worldwide, including 1.5 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines doses donated by the US government to Thailand.
Watch a collaboration video about the positive pressure cabinets for COVID-19 testing