Synthomer is donating 450,000 medical gloves to the municipal hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo, Italy. The hospital is situated in the heart of the Lombardy region of Italy, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Synthomer’s Filago plant, which produces Nitrile Latex for the medical glove industry, is situated just 17km from the hospital.
"Our Italian colleagues made us aware of the severe shortage of PPE in the region, and as one of the world’s leading suppliers of Nitrile Latex, we were able to reach out to some of our major customers and commercially secure medical gloves supplies. At this time our customers are oversold with lead times of four to six months, so we are extremely grateful for their assistance and swift response to our request, and in addition for the matching donations a number of them made," said Derick Whyte, Synthomer President Performance Elastomers and Asia. Malaysia is also under an MCO or lockdown with many industries closed. However, a number of employees worked tirelessly to ensure the shipments were prepared and dispatched to Italy. The first of two shipments arrived at Bergamo airport mid-April and was handed over to the staff of the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital by the local Synthomer logistics team. Synthomer is grateful to all partners and employees who supported this initiative, and also wishes to thank in particular the local medical staff for the relentless commitment to saving lives during the corona crisis.
