Calderdale medical manufacture to send much-needed hospital beds to Ukraine

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare which has a production facility and head office in Halifax, together with key supplier GNG Group, a Wakefield-based manufacturer of foam mattresses, have joined forces to send a desperately-needed consignment of beds and mattresses via MEDAID-4KIDS to support victims of war in Ukraine.

The two companies, which have worked together for the last 20 years to supply the NHS, came up with the plan having seen the urgent need for thousands of hospital beds on the Ukrainian/Polish border as field hospitals are set up to treat casualties and to replace damaged hospitals.

Drive DeVilbiss has donated 200 new rapid deployment beds which were developed in response to the pandemic outbreak; these beds do not require electricity and so can be more easily set up in demanding environments.

It also donated 100 new mattresses, and GNG has stepped in to make up the shortfall by donating a further 100 foam mattresses which they have manufactured at their Wakefield production facility.

Richard McGleenan, group managing director of Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, said: “Medical equipment is in short supply, and our close relationship with supplier GNG Group has enabled a collaboration of efforts.

"The beds and mattresses will provide essential equipment to the medical teams on the ground supporting the injured and displaced; we wanted to help and support the people of Ukraine and this is one small way in which we can achieve that goal.

"We also hope to do more over the coming weeks as we identify other potential equipment which we can send in support of the Ukrainian people, the charities and government organisations who are providing the much needed local support.”

MEDAID-4KIDS collected the consignment from the Drive DeVilbiss depot where three 40ft containers were being loaded with the donation.

It is being transported to a location in Poland, close to the Ukrainian border.

Drive DeVilbiss have worked closely with the charity MEDAID-4KIDS for 20 years in Ireland, providing older hospital beds that are no longer required and refurbishing them to be sent to countries across the world in need of additional beds.

Darren Potterton, managing director of GNG Group, said: “In recent weeks we’ve seen a humanitarian crisis developing in Ukraine which has moved the world and we wanted to do what we could to help. We have a great team here in Wakefield, made up of around 13 nationalities, including Ukrainians, which has made the tragedy in Ukraine even more poignant for us.

“Having worked closely and constructively with Drive DeVilbiss for many years, we’re proud to be able to play our part in this valuable initiative and support the relief effort.”

GNG Group is a specialist foam manufacturer of sports, healthcare, safety and mattress products. It has a 90-strong team based at its 40,000sq ft production facility in Wakefield.

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