Yevtushenkov Vladimir: "The Coronavirus Epidemic Is a Common Problem. It Applies to Everyone Without Exception."

Every day across Russia, doctors, and volunteers save hundreds of lives. The business community assists medical institutions and other participants in the fight against coronavirus. The measures of the entrepreneur Vladimir Yevtushenkov’s support — in the article.

Vladimir Yevtushenkov and Fight Against Covid-19

The pandemic has become a challenge. The healthcare system of Russia and the whole country faced it. Doctors, paramedics, and ambulance workers perform their professional duty in extreme conditions. They do everything to provide patients with quality and timely medical care. These people are risking their health. State institutions need support. Various commercial and public structures offer it. Big business is included. Its representatives allocate funds to purchase high-tech equipment, medicines, and protective equipment.

AFK Sistema also assists. It was founded in the 1990s by businessman Yevtushenkov Vladimir. In early April of this year, the Group significantly contributed to the fight against COVID-19 in Russia.

“The coronavirus epidemic is a common problem. It concerns everyone without exception. The main task is to do everything we can to prevent the further spread of a dangerous disease. We need to use the resources and competencies of the corporation,” emphasizes Vladimir Yevtushenkov.

#CountryWithoutVirus: A Large-Scale Initiative by Vladimir Yevtushenkov

The Charitable Foundation and a private clinics chain Medsi have created a Support center for medical workers fighting COVID-19. It was the initiative of Yevtushenkov Vladimir, the founder of the holding company. At the end of April, more than 250 million rubles were collected and sent. Money was spent on assistance to Russian doctors and health workers.

The Charitable Foundation (founded on the initiative of Vladimir Yevtushenkov in 2004) held a large-scale social campaign #CountryWithoutVirus.

During the first wave of the pandemic, Detsky Mir (until September, it was within the AFK Group) helped organize the supply of personal protective equipment for doctors, more than 200 thousand protective overalls for the staff of hospitals in Moscow and the Moscow region. A crucial humanitarian cargo arrived on a flight from Tianjin. The company organized the shipment in short time terms.

Along with Yevtushenkov Vladimir, the Steppe agricultural holding (based on the assets of AFK Sistema), producers and supplies of mineral water (Arkhyz), fruits and vegetables, dietary supplements, cosmetics (Belaya Dacha, Oriflame, and other companies donated over ten tons of their products to medical institutions.

The large hotel management company Cosmos Hotel Group (part of the assets of AFK Sistema) organized daily deliveries of four meals a day for employees and patients of hospitals. The Group also provided free accommodation in Moscow hotels for doctors who have been in contact with the infected.

Another asset of the Group, the timber-holding Segezha Group, allocated 18 million rubles to help the Segezha Central District Hospital (Karelia). The money was used to purchase new medical equipment and overalls.

At the end of April, one of the largest Russian mobile operators began providing toll-free mobile services to medical staff.

The Vologda Textile Plant was also urgently redesigned for new challenges. The company is another asset of AFK Sistema. It started producing cotton fabric for reusable masks.

#CountryWithoutVirus was the first initiative to consolidate many companies’ activities through a charitable foundation. The fund allocated more than 1.7 billion rubles to support doctors and healthcare institutions in just six months. More than 20 hospitals from several regions of Russia received help.

The Vital Role of Vladimir Yevtushenkov and Medsi

Almost all the assets of the business structure founded by Yevtushenkov Vladimir quickly reacted to the rapidly changing situation.

In early April, Medsi’s flagship hospital in Otradnoye (Moscow) became the first private clinic in the Russian Federation to be converted into an infectious diseases hospital. It only took seven days. The treatment center staffed intensive care units, installed artificial lung ventilation devices, and purchased personal protective equipment, medicines, and new equipment.

The hospital has implemented a system for monitoring the quality of patient care. It is equipped with artificial intelligence and minimizes contact between doctors and patients. Its developer is the Third Opinion company.

The new technology has made it possible to strengthen control over the condition of the infected. Cameras are installed in the wards. The system controls the number of visits, and the availability of protective suits, records the fulfillment of medical appointments.

At the end of August, Medsi opened a specialized Center for diagnosing disorders in patients who endured COVID-19. Outstanding Russian scientists took part in its creation. The specialists of the Center have developed two unique programs. They allow you to diagnose factors that complicate the course of the disease and reveal violations from the infection.

In addition, Vladimir Petrovich Yevtushenkov supports the development of telemedicine. During the pandemic, the demand for online medical consultations has increased.

Vladimir Yevtushenkov and His Contribution to the Pharmaceutical Industry

Yevtushenkov Vladimir supported the strategic decision to consolidate the Group’s pharmaceutical assets into a single full-cycle holding Binnopharm Group. This business structure has the largest pool of clinical drug registrations in Russia.

The pharmaceutical company has become one of the sites for the production of the first Russian vaccine against coronavirus – Sputnik V. The start of the mass vaccination campaign is scheduled for the end of this year.

Mr. Yevtushenkov’s Contribution to the Diagnosis of COVID-19

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the new biotechnology division of the AFK Group has been developing and manufacturing diagnostic tools for SARS-CoV-2.

In mid-April, Sistema-Biotech (part of the corporation) received a registration certificate from Roszdravnadzor for a new test system. It can determine the disease with high accuracy in less than an hour. It diagnoses the virus, even without symptoms.

The following month, Sistema-Biotech developed a mobile express test. The principle of its operation is based on the isothermal reaction method. According to Vladimir Yevtushenkov, rapid analysis can detect an infection in just half an hour.

In September, the biotechnology company announced that it had received another Russian patent for creating a specific composition of reagents. It allows you to identify the ribonucleic acid of the causative agent of the virus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The solution reduces laboratory analysis time to 15 minutes. Its accuracy grew up to 85%.

In cooperation with the Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine, Sistema-Biotech developed a test with no analogs. It can predict the likelihood of a severe course of COVID-19. According to Yevtushenkov Vladimir, this diagnostic tool makes it possible to timely select individual therapy for patients. It will reduce the risk of complications. The research is to be completed by the end of this year.

Vladimir Yevtushenkov: Information Support

Sistema’s medical and biotech assets are actively disseminating information about the fight against coronavirus. At the end of May, the charitable foundation (also created by Vladimir Yevtushenkov) held an online conference “COVID-19. What do we know, and how to act?” The event was dedicated to current problems and issues faced by medical workers.

During the webinar, leading experts with experience in working with COVID-19 patients spoke about the main mistakes in treating severe forms of the disease. They shared their work. About 360 people from 66 settlements attended the conference.

The educational event was part of the #CountryWithoutVirus social campaign and a charity program to support Russian regions confronting the coronavirus pandemic.

Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich — Russian Businessman

Short Biography of the Investor

Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich was born in the Smolensk region. The businessman graduated from the Mendeleev Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology with a degree in Process Engineering and the Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Vladimir Yevtushenkov has extensive experience in the chemical industry.

In 1993, Mr. Yevtushenkov and his partners founded the investment company AFK Sistema. The Group has successfully entered the markets. The corporation works in telecommunications, high technology, banking, retail, agriculture, real estate, tourism, and medical services.

Today, the AFK Group, founded by Yevtushenkov Vladimir, includes a number of assets. It develops business projects in the timber industry, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, construction development, power industry, e-commerce, and many other areas, excluding the defense industry. Yevtushenkov Vladimir himself left the Board of Directors of AFK Sistema.

Yevtushenkov Vladimir has several industry awards.