EDP donates R$ 1 million for combat to Covid-19 in Espírito Santo
Resources will be used to purchase supplies, equipment and medicines. Nationally, the Company has already allocated another R$ 8.3 million to face the pandemic
EDP, an energy distributor in Espírito Santo, donated R$ 1 million to face the coronavirus crisis in the state. The funds will be transferred to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim for the purchase of individual protection supplies, equipment and medicines for the care of Covid-19 patients. Nationally, EDP has already allocated an additional R$ 8.3 million to actions to support public authorities and entities in combating the pandemic.
The Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, appointed by the Government of Espírito Santo, is a reference in the south of the state in the treatment of the disease and benefits the needy population in the region. The hospital has 209 hospital beds, 43 of which are intensive care units (ICU).
“Public hospitals will be in high demand during this crisis. For this reason, we contacted the Government of Espírito Santo and made ourselves available to help. Santa Casa does a very important job in the South of the State and we hope that these resources will provide better structure and service to the people of Espírito Santo”, says EDP Network Vice President, João Brito Martins.
Last week, the Company also launched the EDP Solidária - Covid 19 call, which will select, initiate and develop projects aimed at fighting the coronavirus and solutions to minimize the impacts of the pandemic Brazil. Registration will continue until April 10 (Friday) and will allocate R$ 1 million in own resources to support projects aimed at vulnerable communities, with priority for low-income people, the elderly and indigenous communities. Interested entities can apply on the website: www.institutoedp.org.br.
In March, EDP announced the donation of another R$ 6 million for the purchase of respirators for the ICUs of public hospitals in the State of São Paulo, the most affected by the pandemic. The donation was made through the social organization Comunitas, which raised a total of R$ 23.4 million, with 150 companies.
In Ceará, the company donated R$ 130,000 in personal protective medical equipment (PPE) to the State Health Secretatiat. In Maranhão, another R$ 140,000 will be used by the state government to purchase respirators.
EDP's initiatives in Brazil are added to the efforts made by the headquarters in Portugal. In March, the Company announced the donation of 50 respirators, 200 monitors and medical equipment to Portuguese hospitals. The action was carried out jointly with China Three Gorges (CTG).
In Brazil, EDP has a Crisis Management Committee for the coronavirus and designed a contingency plan, even before the confirmation of the first case in the country. Since February, the committee has been meeting remotely every day, including weekends, if necessary. Among the initiatives already carried out by the company are: anticipation of vaccination against the H1N1 flu for employees, implementation of a total work from home regime in the offices, scheduling and decentralization of field teams and reinforcement of internal information campaigns.
About IEDP
Since it was founded in 2009, the Instituto EDP has invested more than R$ 100 million in social cultural projects, which have benefited about 3 million people, in about 400 programs throughout the country. Only in 2019, the initiatives supported by the organization favored 82,000 residents of the communities surrounding the Company's areas of operation. The Instituto EDP is responsible for structuring EDP's investments and social initiatives on fronts related to the valorization of the Portuguese Language, education, local development with income generation, entrepreneurship and volunteering, by means of sports, culture and health.
About EDP in Brazil
With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has over 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, operates in Transmission, Trading and Energy Services and has six hydroelectric generation units and one thermal power station. In Distribution, it serves about 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In Brazil, it is a reference in areas such as Innovation, Governance and Sustainability, having been in the B3´s Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 14 consecutive years.