Japanese Colleagues Rush to Buy Fcace Masks in Tokyo
 

During the Lunar New year in 2020, the novel coronavirus epidemic was spreading rapidly in Wuhan, China. Our Chinese colleagues were thrown into tension as there was a severe shortage of face masks. Luye colleagues in Japan office reacted immediately to search for face masks in the neighborhood.

Surgical Masks sourced from Japanese colleagues
 

On January 26, Japanese office were divided into three teams and launched a strategic sourcing for face masks in pharmacies from the rural areas, knowing that masks supply in downtown might in tense. Colleagues did their best to stock up as much as they could in each pharmacy and managed to obtain a good load in the morning, Japan office urgently arranged a courier of 7 boxes containing more than 15,000 faces masks to Yantai on the same day. We were pleased to take prompt action to support China before the limit purchase imposed on shortage of face masks.

Pharmacies starting to impose purchase quantity restrictions on masks

We also encountered the embarrassment of courier service suspension due to New Year holiday. It took one whole week for the masks reaching Yantai which normally take no more than three days. Fortunately, with the support of the International Trade Department, they finally arrived in Yantai and were distributed to various offices colleagues.

Masks arrived in Yantai

Come on Wuhan! Come on China!
-Luye Life Sciences Group Japan

São Paulo Aid Action as Powerful as the Samba

During the critical period of the outbreak in China, Luye Brazil colleagues contacted local export suppliers for the first time, and used every means to get the medical supplies needed for Luye Medical China team including masks, protective clothing, protective gloves and goggles.

The following is from a Brazilian colleague, Marcos:

Since Brazil is the biggest country in Latam, I concentrated my effort to identify potential exporters in Brazil. I talked directly with around 20 suppliers including the 3M (big worldwide health product manufacture) and then I realized that it would be too hard to find these products since we are facing a strong stock out because the local companies are selling a lot to attend the local market and others countries.

I changed my strategy and I engaged a Brazilian health care products exporters which has more than 300 suppliers. My first objective was identify suppliers who would be able to export and have products as well. Once I got it, I provide their contact to the Luye Medical team. My journey was very active to solve this issue that the main Brazilian newspaper noticed it and published a note on the biggest Brazilian news (Folha de São Paulo). I took many hours to identify partners who would be able to export because most of them did not have these products in their stock.

The Newspaper's  note
 

The local suppliers are fully aware about the Chinese challenge and I can say they are worried as well but the general feeling is they have empathy for Chinese people.

My thoughts:
I think COVID-19 is another health public issue, like MERS, SARS that brings more challenges to the health systems but by the end of the day, I believe it will become we as further stronger citizens, more conscious about the  healthy way of life and integration between the countries. Luckily, Latam does not have any confirmed case but I can feel the Chinese people concern about that. I strong believe the Luye behavior to found new roads, thinking out of the box, for instance, asking help to another countries and exploring the internal network was a wonderful initiative that showed Luye is the protagonist of its own history.

Across the ages China has proved its greatness by constructing amazing buildings, by revealing a great innovative society and culture and mainly overcame every challenge faced in the last centuries or millennia. As a consequence, I think it is a just matter of time that Chinese people will win the war against the COVID-19, I think some of battles has already won by China, for instance: Build a 1000 bed hospital in a few days, made a hard decision to minimize the spreading risk (“close” the Hubey province), the very recent number showed some relevant progress in terms of new diagnosed patients. Luye team, as a Chinese company, has its own responsibility, accountability and we as leaders should do our best to minimize that suffering. 

One thing I strong believe (and like) is the power of collaborative work, especially in this world where we are well connected. My preliminary responsibility is drive Luye business in Latam but I am fully open to add value to the company as much as it needs including in others areas or business units.By the end of the day, my job objective is to create connections between Latam and Luye. I feel very satisfied to know I am bringing value to the corporation.

——Marcos de Paula,

Regional Business Manager, Luye Pharma Latin America