Dried cranberries for child patients at makeshift hospital
Editor's note:
Shanghai Daily has launched a "Go Shanghai!" donation campaign to help those who are currently treated in makeshift hospitals. Although parents can accompany their children during the quarantine, diapers, infant formulae, baby wipes and toys remain among the essential daily necessities for them. In addition, donations to adult patients and medics are also welcomed. This series explores how local multinationals are responding and helping out.
A boy and his father receive dried cranberries donated by Ocean Spray at a makeshift hospital in Shanghai's Hongkou District.
The world's top cranberry brand Ocean Spray has answered Shanghai Daily's call to donate 100 boxes of dried cranberry snacks to a local COVID-19 makeshift hospital, mainly housing infected children and their parents.
The 9,600 packs of dried cranberries with reduced sugar have been delivered to the makeshift hospital on Jinian Road in Hongkou District, which is operated by Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.
The dried cranberries are expected to bring a change in the children's diet at the makeshift hospital. And, the nutritive fruit will also benefit their health and recovery, according to Ocean Spray Cranberries Food (Shanghai) Co Ltd.
The Shanghai Children's Medical Center, which operates the family section of a makeshift hospital in the Pudong New Area, appealed for help last week because children's daily necessities there, such as diapers, masks, baby formula and napkins, were in short supply.
Shanghai Daily then launched the "Go Shanghai!" campaign, seeking donations to help with the shortages at local makeshift hospitals for infected children and their families. Many multinational enterprises, including Ocean Spray, responded immediately.
Ocean Spray overcame great logistical difficulties in the wake of the city's phased lockdown during the fight against the COVID-19 resurgence, according to the company.
A patient receives dried cranberries donated by Ocean Spray at a local makeshift hospital.
Its warehouse in Puxi remained under closed-loop management when it planned to transport the donations to the hospital on April 9. The company managed to apply for a special pass amid the city's COVID-19 prevention and control measures and designated vehicles for the delivery three days later.
The batch of products arrived at the makeshift hospital on April 14, after the company manager approved the donation plan immediately.
The packs of dried cranberries, 25 grams each, which are easy to distribute among patients, were later given to each child and their parents at the makeshift hospital.
"We are willing to keep offering help if the children or medics in the makeshift hospital are in need," a spokesperson for Ocean Spray said. "We also hope the pandemic will be eased soon and everyone can return home early."
According to research, cranberry is full of type-A procyanidins, almost thrice the amount in blueberry or strawberry, which can help resist the attachment of bacteria to human tissues. The fruit can prevent oral cavity adhesion, gastric ulcer and urinary tract infection, the company revealed.
The donated products have had the sugar amount reduced by half and have additional dietary fiber, making them more suitable for children at the makeshift hospital and their parents, the spokesperson noted.
Staff unload dried cranberries to be delivered to the makeshift hospital operated by Shanghai Yueyang Hospital.
