Round up for a better healthcare for children in hospitals across Croatia
Programme that has shown once again that joint efforts put into little things can make a big difference!
Sometimes it takes so little to bring a smile back to someone's face, and a little goes a long way. This is basically the message spread by the new donation programme OTP Round up, launched by OTP banka d.d. and Mastercard, striving to provide the best treatment possible to our youngest patients in hospitals across Croatia. One of the most renowned musicians in Croatia – Gibonni – and world champions in sailing – Fantela brothers – have supported the programme, and this year’s donation is on its way to Šibenik and Zagreb.
With a starting donation of one million kunas, OTP banka d.d. and Mastercard launched one of the largest donation programmes for public healthcare institutions, aiming to help two Croatian hospitals obtain essential equipment for their children's wards each year. The youngest among us who are relentlessly battling their health issues will see improved diagnostic procedures, better care and hospital stay. The first two hospitals that stand to receive the donation are the paediatric unit of the General Hospital of Šibenik & Knin County, and the Department of Neonatology at the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics, i.e. Petrova hospital in Zagreb.
“The General Hospital of Šibenik & Knin County is going to use the funds to procure an ultrasound for paediatric diagnostics for all subspecialties, and I use this opportunity to kindly ask all clients of OTP banka, and Mastercard cardholders, to take part in this charity aimed at providing the best possible healthcare to our youngest patients“, the director of the General Hospital of Šibenik & Knin County, Sanja Jakelić MD said.
According to Ass. prof. Mirta Starčević, MD, the head of the Department of Neonatology at the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Zagreb, at Petrova hospital every year they see about three hundred prematurely born babies, third of whom face numerous complications due to their undeveloped organs and prolonged stay at the ICU. “In order to successfully treat these children, in addition to knowledge and expertise, advanced technology is also of the essence. By advanced technology, we mean the devices used for monitoring children's vitals without actually having to perform procedures or draw blood. What we need the most at the moment is to combine the existing monitors into a central monitoring system and obtain additional advanced monitors to oversee the circulation and breathing functions of the child“.
One of the charity’s ambassadors, a supermum Irena Orlović, a mother of three, the founder of Harfa publishing company, and the creator of the award-winning application Pametnica (smart-kid app) aimed at encouraging early development of children, and of a series of other initiatives, agrees that it really “takes so little to put a smile back to someone’s face, especially nowadays”.
„A sense of safety is necessary to our every-day functioning. Having a child spend time in hospital may compromise that feeling of safety, and create trauma, not just for the child, but also for the parents“, Irena Orlović said. “I am happy that I can be part of this programme that strives to ensure the best possible conditions for hospital stay of children“.
Croatia is a small country with a large heart, which has been proven once again by our musicians and award-winning athletes who got on board with the programme. Gibonni and Fantela brothers, who have shown their big hearts on numerous occasions, have once again answered the call, sending out a clear message – together we can turn something small into something great, that is why we need to round it up!
„I am wholeheartedly supporting a charitable cause like this which will have already significantly helped four Croatian hospitals in but two years’ time. That is why I kindly ask all of you to join in and round up that small change, as you will be doing a whole lot of good. A little goes a long way. So, round it up and there is no chance of not gettin' it right”, said Gibonni.
Clients of OTP banka d.d., and Mastercard® cardholders may all join in. All they need to do is activate the service OTP Round up to contribute to this worthy cause when effecting a payment. For instance, an invoice issued for HRK 18.50 will be rounded up to HRK 19.00, and the difference of 50 lipas will be directly credited to the account set up for this purpose. Thus, the largest amount that can be rounded up in a transaction equals HRK 0.99.
“We may say that OTP Round up is a story of corporate social responsibility of OTP banka that has come full circle, which we have been encouraging and developing for over a decade. The past year has shifted our focus to healthcare, making us proud that as a bank our quick decision-making has allowed us to donate HRK 3 million to hospitals across Croatia. We are aware of our role as an employer in the communities we live and work in, and we believe our contribution can and should be even greater. That is why we launched OTP Round up, which allows also our clients to donate easily to healthcare for the good of the children in Croatia. I believe the value of this programme will be recognised and that as many of us as possible will join in“, said Balázs Békeffy, the president of the Board of OTP banka d.d.
The balance of the rounded up donations and details on the programme OTP Round up are available at https://www.otpbanka.hr/hr/otp-zaokruzi
A promotional video OTP Round up is available at https://youtu.be/Yv0eyv2o9Yg
