Briefs

Tata Motors Thailand recently held the “Tata Xenon MaxCab” Bangkok-Kaengkrachan test drive in conjunction with a social activity aimed at improving the wellbeing of rural schools.
A team of journalists joined the test drive, driving fully-loaded pickups to Baan Phukhem school, Amphur Kaengkrachan, Phetchburi. Among the items were sunfilter shades (10 units) for the school playgrounds, lifevests for children as most of them travel to school via boat, towels, blankets, rice, slippers and various other essentials in addition to a financial donation for the construction of the sun-filter shades.
The Baan Phukkem school is a small school in a rural area of Kaengkrachan. There are a total of 46 students of kindergarten and elementary-school age who attend the school. Not only do the students lack the basic essentials required for a normal school environment but the 15kilometre gravel road path to the school is filled with large potholes and obstacles.

Baxter responds to floods

When Thailand was hit by extreme rainfall and flooding in October and November, Illinois-based Baxter International took quick and decisive action to ensure that the affected area’s peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients still received delivery of PD therapy. Baxter also coordinated an emergency shipment of intravenous (IV) solutions to the country, provided survival kits to local residents and offered assistance to Baxter employees impacted by the disaster.
Peritoneal dialysis is the predominant homedialysis therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease, or irreversible kidney failure.
To ensure that the country’s PD patients had access to the supplies needed for therapy regardless of where they were relocated, employees worked closely with distributors, PD centres, hospitals and the government.
In addition, after local IV manufacturing plants closed due to the high flood waters, the Thai government reached out to Baxter Thailand for emergency assistance. Baxter’s teams from Thailand, China, Australia and the Philippines worked quickly to ship supplies of IV solutions to locations in need. In all, Baxter shipped 1.2 million containers of IV solutions, including 10,000 containers flown urgently through a partnership with Thai Airways International.
Baxter also established a Flood Employee Assistance Programme to provide aid to Baxter employees in Thailand who had been affected. Despite experiencing flooding in their own homes, employees made time to give to others less fortunate, including conducting a fundraiser to help buy food for PD patients staying in a temporary shelter, and by creating and distributing survival packs to the area’s residents – even wading through the water to make the deliveries.