While Lenovo has already committed more the $15 million around the world to support communities in their response to COVID-19, we know we must continue to find ways to give. As part of this ongoing work, in Latin America we donated more than 2,100 tablets, phones, and computers to students, hospitals and NGOs. We coupled the technology contributions with donations of masks, medical supplies, and even health education. Donations have not only enabled the work of medical personnel but have also helped families stay connected as patients receive hospital treatment while isolated from their loved ones.
Across markets, Lenovo teams worked carefully to respond to the unique needs of each community.
In Peru, one of the first countries that decreed the lockdown in the region, 300 tablets were donated in response to requests from the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud). The tablets are vital to the Ministry and health official’s data collection efforts to monitor the spread of the virus. The hardware donation was complemented by much-needed medical supplies.
In Argentina, we donated desktops to a field hospital in greater Buenos Aires. In addition, we sent medical supplies and hygiene items through local partner NGOs. Lenovo also enabled distance education for LGBTQ+ middle school students, in addition to cell phone donations that enabled remote learning for students in vulnerable neighborhoods.
In Brazil, we directed donations towards making new ICU beds viable. More than 460 pieces of equipment, including notebook and desktop PCs, were given to field hospitals or new wards for the care of patients infected with COVID-19. It is estimated that more than 1,350 new ICU beds have been made possible with Lenovo equipment. And considering that on average a bed is used by 3 patients per month, the donation of ICU bed enabled the medical care of more than 4,000 patients per month.
Through the work of Motorola Brazil, we donated cell phones to hospitals so that patients could have contact with loved ones and family members while receiving treatment in isolation.
In an unprecedented partnership with UNICAMP – University of Campinas, Motorola’s team of researchers put their know-how at the service of developing a tool to monitor patients who have been discharged from their coronavirus hospitalization by cell phone. With the app provided pro-bono by Motorola, doctors are able to track patient progress without asking them to risk further infection by returning to the hospital.
In addition to hospitals, we donated Lenovo PCs to organizations that work with people with disabilities. The machines were provided for a charitable auction to generate financial resources that enabled the purchase of hygienic and life necessities for families of people with disabilities in situations of social vulnerability.
Ten months after the pandemic reached Brazil, the health system in the Amazonas state of the Amazon region became overwhelmed, creating a shortage of oxygen supplies and equipment. Lenovo and Motorola collaborated to supply a month of oxygen consumption to the hospitals in Manaus, capital of the Amazonas State, ensuring ongoing treatment for both COVID-19 patients as well as patients receiving other care.
In Chile, underprivileged students continued their studies through distance learning thanks to donations of 70 notebooks. In addition, medical supplies, tablets and cell phones were donated to hospitals, enabling better care and family connections for those infected with the virus.
In Colombia, Lenovo enabled distance learning for university and basic education students with the donation of 340 tablets and more than 80 notebooks from Lenovo. Motorola also donated cell phones to connect child cancer patients in Bogotá to their families, and Lenovo’s Data Center Group provided a server to the National Health Institute (Instituto Nacional de Salud) to assist their efforts with public information sharing. In total, Lenovo provided over 1,000 devices to assist with the COVID-19 crisis in Colombia.
In Mexico, hospitals in Mexico City and Nuevo Leon received donations of tablets, notebooks and all-in-one PCs to support 200 new beds. In Puebla, tablets were donated to the hospital in Cholula for family connection. General support was also given to NGOs to continue their work during economic hardship. We donated more than 500 pieces of technology across Lenovo’s PC and mobile phone product lines.
Finally, Lenovo employees were invited to give back on a donation campaign, with all donations matched by the Lenovo Foundation. Partner organizations included United Way branches in Latin America, Instituto Gerando Falcões, Lar dos Velhos Flaminio Mauricio and Assitência Vicentina Frederico Ozanam. Donations provided basic needs for beneficiaries, including food boxes and hygienic supplies.
Considering that Latin America was one of the regions hit later by the virus, our donations and response must continue. Lenovo’s efforts have provided 1,600 ICU beds, enabled distance learning for 1,250 students, provided better care for 100,000 patients, and connected 11,000 patients to loved ones. Our commitment to leveraging our technology and resources to meet local communities’ needs during this pandemic remains firm.