Basel / Switzerland, March 24, 2020 – In response to an urgent appeal by Swiss ities, Syngenta today announced that it has joined forces with Huntsman to enable the production of hand sanitizer for the Swiss Canton of Vaud and the CHUV General Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.
At the production site in Monthey, Switzerland, Syngenta and Huntsman are working together to produce and donate approximately 50 tons of hand sanitizer to hospitals and pharmacies, which are now facing increasing shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and constrained supply of the product. We usually do not produce hand sanitizer at our plant in Monthey, but were able to flexibly and quickly adapt our facilities to be able to respond to this urgent need.
The first shipment of five tons is expected to be delivered immediately. More production is planned to ensure a stable supply of between three tons and five tons per week as required to help safeguard medical staff, patients and the public.
Syngenta Site Manager Monthey, Christian Spühler said, “We are proud that we can play a small part in supporting our local medical facilities during this global crisis. Keeping people healthy is essential, and safety is fundamental to our values at Syngenta.”
Commenting on the announcement, Head of Logistics for Lausanne General Hospital, Mr. Pierre-Yves Muller said, “Providing hand sanitizer for our staff and patients is vital. Ensuring security of supply is critical and we are grateful for the fast, committed and effective response we’ve had from local companies.”