Columbus Covid 2 Hospital: 12 months fighting Covid
A day to celebrate the work of the medical staff and the solidarity of citizens.
“It is an unprecedented emergency. Nobody can remain indifferent”. With these words, exactly one year ago, Edoardo Rossi, President of Rossi Group, intervened with its construction firms in the railway sector, to launch a campaign in support of the new Covid Hospital "Columbus”.
The consistent donations by Rossi Group engaged the entire network in a collective effort: workers, managers, executives, external consultants, partners, suppliers joined a real “marathon of solidarity”, raising in five weeks, almost 500,000 Euros that were donated to Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli that, upon mandate of the Region, was able to open in record time, the Columbus Covid 2 Hospital, regional hospital -with Spallanzani – fighting Covid 19 pandemic.
After 12 months of constant and precious commitment in fighting the pandemic, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli wanted to celebrate in a special day “the unprecedented collective effort” of all Gemelli’s staff who worked with efficiency, humanity and courage, and also to thank contributors that supported the work of the Policlinico.
The result – underscores the Foundation in a press release- is remarkable: over 4,350 Covid-19 patients healed as of today and, among the various initiatives, the first Day Hospital in Italy to follow-up patients suffering from SARS-Cov-2; it was opened last April 21st, and treated so far 950 patients, receiving hundreds of new requests from all over Italy to take part in the follow-up programs.
“The activity of the Columbus Covid Hospital - commented professor Marco Elefanti, General Director of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS – is a clear indication of the praiseworthy effort of the Foundation, with Lazio Region, to fight the pandemic. During all these months, Gemelli re-modulated and boosted its activity in order to assist patients with Covid-19, and continued to treat also non-covid patients. 380 new employees hired to fight the emergency this year, give an idea of our efforts”.
Numerous words of appreciation and gratitude were offered to the Foundation and the medical staff by stakeholders and contributors, among whom Massimo Martinelli, Director of Messaggero, and Claudio Granata, Director of Eni’s Human Capital & Procurement Coordination division: “For Eni, this is one of the most important initiatives implemented to fight the pandemic: we acted in the medical sector on various fronts and local areas, however I believe that the medical staff shall be fully appraised for having healed thousands of people, also in serious conditions, and to whom we shall give all our gratitude”.
Among the enterprises, bodies and private citizens that provided their support, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli wanted to publicly recall – in addition to Eni Spa and Messaggero – in particular CEI, Banca d’Italia, Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, Reale Mutua Assicurazioni, Atlantia, Acea, Fincantieri, Edizione Srl, Gruppo Caltagirone, GCF Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie, Fondazione Irti, Super Elite , Federazione Italiana delle BCC, Cattolica Assicurazioni, Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondazione Fendi, Esselunga, Gruppo TUO, Finleonardo, Fondazione Memmo, Terna, Gruppo Ferretti and Laura Biagiotti.
“I join those who express their unanimous appreciation to the medical staff still currently involved in facing this difficult pandemic crisis with dedication. Supporting the efforts of first-line workers – states Edoardo Rossi – is a primary ethic duty and I’m happy that many people who are part of this Group joined this effort of solidarity. Sharing the appreciation of Fondazione Gemelli, I deeply thank them”.
The press release of the foundation with the summary of the day