In these exceptional times when COVID-19 is spreading more and more, hospitals are faced with serious challenges. Health care providers work long days and pressure on hospitals is expected to rise in the weeks ahead. This means that hospital employees have little time to do their daily shopping.
On request of and in close consultation with two large Belgian hospitals, UVC Brugmann and UZ Leuven, Colruyt Group is developing a solution for their personnel. The group will make the necessary logistic system available for this purpose. Marc Hofman, COO Retail of Colruyt Group: "In the past few weeks, our 30,000 co-workers (in production plants, transport, logistic centres, stores, supporting services) have been doing everything they can. However, we realise that the social service sector's marathon, which is about human lives, may be much more difficult. Consequently, we want to support hospital personnel with a solution we develop especially for them. It is our way to take our social responsibility as retailer."
The logistic organisation is set up by Solucious, the group's food service business that supplies food products to professional customers. Solucious will make a website available with a selection of the Colruyt Group assortment. Hospital employees will be able to place an order on the website and mention the moment that suits them best.
The orders will be prepared per person and delivered to the hospital where this person works. The exact starting date, delivery location, delivery times and all other practical arrangements are being discussed with the hospitals' logistic departments. This will take some time of course: the hospitals in this project will handle this step by step. First, we will focus on the social service providers in the so-called front line and the hospitals will communicate this internally.
Marc Hofman concludes: "With this initiative, we want to make our contribution to dispel the concerns of hospital employees in these difficult times. Together, we are stronger to cope with these unbelievably challenging times."
We are also examining the possibility to expand this service to as many interested Belgian hospitals as possible. Other hospitals who want to use this service, can contact Solucious via info@Solucious.be. Meanwhile, Solucious also continues to provide food products to its usual customers (professional kitchens in hospitals, health care institutions, caterers).
For press questions, please contact:
Colruyt Group Press office -- Press@colruytgroup.com of 0473 92 45 10 (NL) or 0473 82 27 15 (FR)
