The next edition of the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy (Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity) will take place this Sunday, 28 January. This time, volunteers will be collecting money to buy equipment that will go to pulmonary wards for children and adults.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a very negative impact on the lungs of both adults and children. Hence the theme of this year’s collection ‘Lungs after the pandemic’ and the collection to purchase equipment to fight lung disease.
Is it worth joining the campaign? We asked the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, PhD Marian Przylepa, Professor VPU, about this.
I think that many hospitals, and by extension their patients, have benefited from receiving equipment that they could not normally purchase due to financial constraints. I believe that the whole undertaking and the idea of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is extremely valuable and humanitarian. The organisers have an extraordinary ability to spot equipment that is necessary but not available,
says Professor Przylepa, who for 35 years held the position of headmaster of the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Jaczewskiego Street.
Every year, the collection takes place in winter and, despite the cold and frost, plenty of volunteers with donation tins hit the streets.
You can also support the Orchestra by taking part in online auctions of various items, services or, for example, meetings with famous people.
It is absolutely necessary to support the idea of fundraising for the purchase of medical equipment. Even with the increase in funding for health care, we are not yet in a situation where the needs of all medical facilities would be secured. Every single zloty donated to the WOŚP is important,
concludes Marian Przylepa, PhD.
In Lublin, the Orchestra will play in the main hall of Galeria Olimp on Spółdzielczości Pracy Avenue and in front of the building. Throughout the day, concerts, dance performances or shows by emergency services and uniformed personnel will be held there. The whole event will end at 8 p.m. with a light into heaven.
Anyone can join the campaign.
Last year, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity collected PLN 243,259,387 and 25 groszy. Since the beginning of the campaign in 1993, almost PLN 2 billion has been collected, which was used to purchase medical equipment for hospitals across the country.
