A COVID-19 patient being treated by doctors of the National Hospital For Tropical Diseases's facility in Dong Anh District, Ha Noi. — VNA/ VNS Photo Hong Ha

Siemens AG has decided to set up a COVID-19 aid fund in order to support organisations and medical facilities as well as individuals impacted by the COVID-19 crisis worldwide.

The fund will be managed by the community-serving nonprofit organisation Siemens Caring Hands (Caring Hands), the company said, adding that all Siemens AG employees around the world can make monetary donations to Caring Hands by specifying “COVID-19” as the purpose of the gift.

Siemens AG will match every euro donated, meaning the company will donate the same amount to Caring Hands. The charity itself will then channel the funds to those who need them most, the company said.

“Both medically and socially, COVID-19 is a challenge of a kind that the world as a whole has never seen before in peacetime. Now, acting responsibly is more important than ever – for our company’s future, for the health and economic security of our workforce and business partners, but also for the cohesion of societies around the world,” said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG.

“Many people have helped make us the strong, successful company we are today. And now we want to help those who are doing excellent work, day in and day out, in serving the sick and needy during this time of crisis. That’s why I’m calling on our management and employees worldwide to donate generously."

"Every euro counts. I want to start things off by personally contributing one million euros,” Kaeser said.

As a nonprofit organisation, Caring Hands will use the donations to support co-ordinated projects and aid programmes and to buy urgently needed products in a move to deliver aid rapidly to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic worldwide. — VNS