© Radici Group.

Gowns, caps and shoe covers to protect doctors, nurses and healthcare workers battling day in and day out against the coronavirus. The RadiciGroup business area specializing in the production of high-performance nonwovens has brought to life a project that demonstrates the flexibility of the people in the Province of Bergamo and their capability to stand up to complex challenges.

“Producing high-performance materials is routine for us,” Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup, pointed out, “and we wondered how we could help in this emergency situation. So, we decided to call on local companies – which promptly came on board – to set up a reliable and approved production chain to make much-needed protective equipment for our medical personnel.”

RadiciGroup already has available 10,000 metres of fabric, which has passed the lamination test with plastic film produced by the local company Plastik SpA.

“Our collaboration with RadiciGroup goes back a long time,” said Gianangelo Cattaneo, president of Plastik, “and we think of the Group as a partner we can count on. When they contacted us for this project, our answer was an immediate “yes”. Through this project, Bergamo companies could provide a concrete response to the coronavirus emergency in our region. Our task was to laminate RadiciGroup nonwovens with a special film that makes the fabric breathable and anti-bacterial, and, thus, resistant to infective agents.”

Tests of the material for medical use were performed and validated at Centrocot in Varese.

Crucial for the success of the project was the rapid response by some local garment makers who immediately became engaged in the production of the garments, according to the specifications for hospital PPE currently in use provided by Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo.

“We were very cautious all along and waited for the final result of the very last test,” Angelo Radici concluded.” “Indeed, we were dealing with materials to be used to protect people on the front lines in their daily battle against COVID-19. We had to have absolute certainty that the equipment could ensure the healthcare workers’ safety. Now that the approval has finally arrived, I must say that we are very proud, because we saw first-hand the willingness of local entrepreneurs to team up in this endeavour. We are now ready to offer our contribution during this extremely severe crisis we are living through.”

The first 5000 gowns made will be donated by RadiciGroup to Papa Giovanni XXXIII Hospital in Bergamo.

After that, the Group will be at the disposal of medical associations, hospitals and other healthcare organizations that may need to obtain the raw material or receive ready-to-wear PPE garments (contact [email protected]), the company said.

RadiciGroup has also been engaged in other solidarity initiatives. Together with Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, the Group has made a donation towards the purchase of all the necessary plant for piping oxygen to 200 beds for COVID-19 patients in the field hospital built by the Associazione Nazionale degli Alpini (National Association of Italian Alpine Soldiers) at the Bergamo Fairgrounds. Moreover, the Group has contributed to providing a portable CT scanner for Bolognini Hospital in Seriate, Bergamo, where the machine is needed for the diagnosis of patients presenting with respiratory problems potentially due to COVID-19.

Radici Plastics Suzhou, a RadiciGroup company based in Jiangsu Province in China, has joined a fund- raising drive promoted by the Italian community in Shanghai to send Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo over 20,000 masks and other medical devices. This equipment has already arrived at its destination.

Additionally, together with Maglificio Santini and Plastik, RadiciGroup has been a leading player in the supply chain for the production of ‘molamia’ (don’t give up - in Bergamasque) masks, part of the project coordinated by the Bergamo Manufacturers’ Association, which has led to the approval of the product by Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan).

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