Koenig & Bauer Cares – When Giving Goes Hand in Hand with Community
Social commitment is as much a part of our DNA as the pioneering spirit that has driven our company for over 200 years. The assistance given to charitable organisations ranges from ad hoc support for regional projects to the long-term sponsorship of international institutions – and sometimes Koenig & Bauer's contribution is just one of many that enable help to be delivered where it is urgently needed.
How a sheetfed offset plant can make medical care possible
"It is merely our good fortune that we were born into a world where medical care is taken for granted." It is with this awareness that Interplast-Germany has been active in Bolivia for more than ten years, providing free medical treatment to the local population in the field of plastic surgery. Since universal health insurance is unknown in Bolivia, many citizens are dependent on the voluntary help of doctors and nurses. The medical staff of Interplast-Germany are supported by the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz, as well as by various German-based organisations and companies. The scale of collaboration that is sometimes involved can be seen in a project to which Koenig & Bauer has also donated.
The specialist hospital in Coswig received two used ultrasound units as a donation to be passed on to Bolivia. And local company HMT Herrmann Medizintechnik had previously overhauled the units to ensure that they were fully functional. The only question that remained was how to get the equipment first to Bolivia and then to the place where it would actually be used. This is where the Koenig & Bauer sheetfed offset plant in nearby Radebeul stepped up to help. The shipping department is ideally networked in the global transport business and has partners in almost every country. Without further ado, Koenig & Bauer offered to look after shipping of the equipment – and also covered the costs. The ultrasound units arrived in Santa Cruz at the end of January 2023 and can now be used for diagnostics. During a subsequent 14-day mission, doctors from Interplast-Germany screened around 400 patients and performed between 100 and 120 operations. Doctors from the region were keen observers, made operating capacities available and also carried out their own planned surgery – during the night in some cases.
This project shows how much can be achieved when associations, companies and other partners network across continents and work together to help people who would otherwise have no opportunities to receive the required medical treatment.
Read more about Koenig & Bauer's social commitment here.