Johnson & Johnson supplies hydration drinks to over 20,000 medical frontliners
MANILA, Philippines — Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Philippines Inc. is supplying 10 key hospitals with their Vivity hydration drinks to help Filipino healthcare workers in their fight against COVID-19 in the country.
Identified partner hospitals will be provided with a steady supply of products for two months, with J&J Philippines also setting up chillers during this period to properly store stocks throughout health workers’ shifts.
These include the pediatric departments and emergency rooms of Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, The Medical City, Parañaque Doctors Hospital, and San Juan De Dios Hospital.
The initiative is an extension of their earlier pledge of P10-million worth of Vivity products that reached 27 hospitals and nine non-government organizations. In total, the company has reached over 20,000 healthcare workers with their hydration efforts.
According to Dr. Eva Irene Yu Maglonzo, the donation came at a good time for their hospital’s staff and the patients as well, considering that temperatures have risen this summer.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recently reported an average of 42 degrees Celsius in the country’s latest heat index forecast.
“Staying hydrated has become a priority for us in managing our own health and the health of our patients since summer started. We spend long hours in our PPEs and stay in a non-air-conditioned clinic set up, so the heat has really made it difficult for us in terms of keeping our energy up,” Maglonzo said.
“That is why aside from our PPEs, we see hydration as our next line of defense during these trying times,” she said.
Vivity is J&J Philippines’ first electrolyte drink product under its consumer health product portfolio. It is scientifically formulated with electrolytes that help restore lost fluids and keep the body hydrated. It also comes in a ready-to-drink packaging and two great tasting flavors: apple and orange.
“Through these donations, we hope to give frontline healthcare workers an additional line of defense, as they continue to serve and protect our countrymen during this difficult time,” said Raghu Krishnan, managing director of J&J Philippines.
“As the situation in the Philippines evolves, we will continue to look for ways to back the frontlines, that we may combat the coronavirus pandemic together,” he ended.
