Helaba donates EUR 50,000 to Aid Organisations in Thuringia

Erfurt – The Helaba Group is again supporting eleemosynary organisations in the Bank's home region with donations in a total amount of EUR 100,000. Instead of Christmas presents to business partners, EUR 50,000 each is going to organisations in Hesse and Thuringia. Beneficiaries of the after-Christmas donation by Helaba for Thuringia are Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and the German Red Cross. "We are very happy to present a cheque of EUR 25,000 to each of the emergency medical services of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and the German Red Cross – and I am speaking on behalf of all employees in the Helaba Group," said Klaus-Dieter Groeb, member of the Board of Directors of Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen, handing over the donations today in Erfurt. Both organisations have been in charge of land-based emergency medical services in Erfurt and its environment for about 20 years. "With our donations next year, we intend to support the emergency medical services in Erfurt again," said Groeb. "In the year 2013, Johanniter Unfallhilfe and Malteser Hilfsdienst will each receive a donation of EUR 25,000 from Helaba." 

The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) is a charitable association managed by people working in an honorary capacity. The Erfurt district chapter of the association helps people in a great variety of fields: they are active in emergency medical services and first-aid training, in the transport of injured people to intensive medical care, they provide emergency services for the German statutory health insurance institutions, home transport when people become ill or have been injured abroad; in addition, the provide services with regard to civil protection and home care, in-house emergency calls for senior citizens and manage senior citizens homes, and provide assisted accommodation and  day care for senior citizens. Without the support from donations and membership contributions, the ASB would not be able to perform its manifold and comprehensive tasks. The Erfurt district chapter of the ASB will use the donation to put several reanimation boards into operation. In the event of sudden heart failure for instance, these are used for heart and lung resuscitation and improve the chances of survival and the neurological condition of the patient. The emergency management of the emergency medical team is thus optimised for the benefit of the patient.

The German Red Cross (DRK) help wherever people are in need of support and assistance - be it after a traffic incident, a natural disaster or to senior citizens living alone. This organisation, too, can assume tasks only when there are sufficient financial means available to it. The emergency medical service of the Erfurt district chapter of the DRK will introduce the new trauma management "Prehospital Trauma Life Support" (PHTLS). In the case of a physical trauma, e.g. when a person collapses, or after traffic accidents, bone fractures, injuries of the spine or damage to interior organs frequently occur. The donation enables the purchase of new equipment and the organisation of staff trainings and seminars. This will lead to an improved pre-clinical initial treatment of the injured person and faster transport to the hospital.