AstraZeneca has its heart in the right place
01/01/2009 16:38:00
AstraZeneca has long been in the business of providing premiere pharmaceutical care to Filipinos. Not only does it provide quality medicines that help improve lives, as one of the country’s leading pharmaceutical organizations, it lives up to its prime mission of being the company that cares.
This commitment was further demonstrated when AstraZeneca formed an alliance with VSO Bahaginan for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program last November 2007. Through its partnership with VSO Bahaginan, AstraZeneca intends to develop a vehicle that will channel employee efforts to something that will contribute positively to the community.
“AstraZeneca is a company that is innovative with the products it develops,” shares Allan Knox, president, AstraZeneca Philippines. “We are passionate about our patients and our doctors, but more importantly, we have more passion for our community.”
VSO Bahaginan will help AstraZeneca strengthen its CSR program that is in line with VSO’s own development goals of health and social wellbeing. It has pledged technical assistance to facilitate AstraZeneca’s CSR and employee volunteering policy programs. According to Robby Nazal, VSO program director for National Volunteering, “Employees should be proud to belong to a company that has a well aligned policy and program of corporate responsibility,” he said.
As part of the partnership, AstraZeneca will help bridge VSO Bahaginan to the medical community. The pharmaceutical company will assist VSO Bahaginan with the development and production of its leaflets and brochures. It will also actively promote VSO health placements in their network of doctors, nurses and physicians by including VSO materials in their daily distribution of literature. This way, interested members of the medical community can find out about international volunteering opportunities with VSO Bahaginan.
Knox disclosed that the CSR policy would definitely be related to healthcare. He envisions volunteering programs that aim to support some of the healthcare issues that are especially relevant to the Philippines. Projects that the company is interested in are: indigent children, mental health, TB and dengue cases.
Although the partnership is young, Knox expects that it will go a long way. In the future, AstraZeneca hopes to find healthcare partners that they can support through VSO’s network. AstraZeneca is also looking to VSO to help them manage their staff’s volunteer efforts.
“We don’t like giving cash or products because they disappear. We would like something constructive and that has some life span. I want a program that will have an impact. I know it may take a while but the challenge is finding the right idea that works. That’s why, AstraZeneca needs VSO to help because we don’t know where to start,” Knox said.
AstraZeneca is optimistic about its partnership with VSO Bahaginan. As early as now, they are looking at the possibility of extending the currently one-year partnership to three years.
Knox states, “Combining VSO’s brand of public service with AstraZeneca’s medical expertise is the best way for AstraZeneca to participate in the Filipino community. VSO Bahaginan, VSO for that matter, has a long distinguished history in project and volunteering management. ‘Sharing skills, changing lives’ after all is at the heart of everything VSO Bahaginan does. With them, we will show Filipinos that AstraZeneca Cares means that meeting the needs of patients and doctors is at heart of everything we do.”
Editor's notes
For more information email Rachel Nalus at rachel.nalus@vsobahaginan.org or call 374 6450 to 52 ext. 30.
