Since the start of the outbreak, our COVID-19 76-point contingency plan, paired with our culture of true care, has been important in creating a consistent Diaverum global response to the pandemic.
It has promoted the health and safety of our patients and staff by minimising the impact of the disease, as well as delivered operational continuity. At the same time, it has strengthened our partnership with NHSs in different countries to fight the virus spread within society.
The tireless efforts, focus and commitment of our people at Diaverum have brought us this far! But the combat against the pandemic is not yet over.
While the spread and impact of COVID-19 have varied around the world, we’ve seen infections growing rapidly over the last few weeks, and the increase of cases across Europe has reached levels where governments are introducing refreshed national lockdowns.
Globally, vaccine trials continue at full throttle, but we know that vaccine research requires time before clinical use. The few that are already in phase 3 trials, however, offer hope that some rollout will begin from early 2021.
With the renewed vigour with which the virus is spreading, we are reinforcing our efforts and focus on continuing to protect our patients and our people.
This means that, from now and into 2021, we will continue focusing on three strategic imperatives:
- Safety: Controlling and minimising the risk of contagion and sustaining health & safety of our patients and staff, as mid to long term impacts from the pandemic emerge.
- Continuity: Maintaining operational stability against the backdrop of the higher number of incidents in our countries of operation and reinvigorating our focus on safeguarding critical activity.
- Productivity: Focusing on our clinical teams’ well-being to allow them to maintain the same level of energy in serving our patients around the world.
In line with the strategy above, our clinics are returning to the most restrictive clinical protocols of March-June, with our 76-point contingency plan as the continued foundation.
Our non-clinical operations are returning to home/teleworking as the default arrangement, unless specific circumstances require office presence.
We recognise that this prolonged COVID-19 management focus, coinciding with the upcoming winter months and the festive season in December, will add on an already challenging year to our clinical and non-clinal teams alike. The impact of COVID-19 on our well-being needs to be managed beyond the short-term so that we support our people over the mid and long terms through the new normal that’s emerging from the pandemic. That’s why we're articulating a robust and comprehensive well-being strategy, building on the learning and best practices from across the business and on our successful “staff 4 life” program that has been in place since the beginning of the pandemic.
Reaffirming our commitment to fight the latest COVID-19 wave cannot come without a big thank you to the whole Diaverum team, across our 22 markets. As I’ve said before, we are on a noble mission.
Dimitris Moulavasilis
Chief Executive Officer Diaverum