Xiaomi is helping counter the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK by donating the first batch of tens of thousands of masks to the National Health Service. The supplies have now been received by the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and will be distributed for use by the NHS in coordination with the local authorities to the areas and health institutions in greatest need. 

With this donation, Xiaomi hopes to help to ease the UK’s shortage of Personal Protective Equipment and to contain the spread of the virus.

On the pallets containing the donation supplies, Xiaomi attached the words of the English writer and social critic Charles Dickens: “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

This follows Xiaomi’s pledge to distribute 1 million masks across Europe – announced at the company’s launch event in late March by Shou Zi Chew, President of International, Xiaomi. To date, Xiaomi has and is donating supplies including masks, thermometers, protective gowns, among others, to various markets including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Indonesia, India, South Korea and Japan. 

“In this humanitarian crisis that concerns the shared future of our humanity, it’s essential that we all work together. With so many countries and regions across the world struggling to get access to the appropriate protection to treat COVID-19 patients without putting themselves at risk, we felt alleviating this could be one way in which we play our part. Xiaomi and its affiliated Xiaomi Foundation have set about both the sourcing of over 1 million masks and the distribution of them all across Europe, specifically targeting the regions where Personal Protective Equipment is scarce,” said Shou Zi Chew, President of International, Xiaomi. “When we first launched in the UK in 2018 the public welcomed us with passion and warmth. We are honoured to be able to return that gesture and offer our contribution to the NHS for the benefit of Britain’s communities.”