Siemens Ltd., China - Siemens Caring Hands - Health Care

Hintergrund der Fallstudie

Problemdarstellung/Situation

Nowadays, CSR becomes a vital factor to company image and indirectly influences customers’ loyalty. The Chinese Government considers enterprises not only profit producers but also social responsibilities takers. Therefore, CSR in China is essential for doing business there. The current economy and natural imbalance in China has gradually motivated companies to engage in CSR activities to contribute to the society. For example, the development of healthcare solutions for rural China is of key importance. Since rural healthcare improvement has become one of the top priorities of the Chinese Government, Siemens as a leading global healthcare solution provider, with its strengths and competences in this field lends a helping hand to reach this important goal. Siemens kicked off US$10 million rural healthcare project and started its roll-out in China.

In this project, Siemens will equip the county-level hospital with a full range of appropriate diagnostic imaging equipment – including ultrasound, X-ray and CT. Since medical experience is crucial in the healthcare delivery process, Siemens will meanwhile provide relevant medical and application training to support the education of the physicians in the hospital. Beside that, the company will also install water treatment equipment to prevent health threats to the environment from the hospital's wastewater. With all these contributions, the county-level hospital will be modelled into a Rural Center of Medical Excellence.

Bezug zum Kerngeschäft

We use the technique and know-how from our core business and have also volunteerism with our employees, which are indirect from the core business.

Siemens’s early corporate citizenship activities in China can be traced back to the 1930ies, when Mr. John Rabe, then Siemens business representative in Nanjing and Chairman of the Nanjing International Safety Zone, provided humanitarian aid and shelter for over 250,000 Chinese refugees at Siemens’ property in Nanjing during the “Nanjing Massacre”.

Ziel des Engagements

Beschreibung der Aktivität

Siemens Caring Hands - Health Care

In April 2007, Siemens kicked off a 5-years rural healthcare project with a total investment volume of USD 10 million (7,7 Mio. Euro). The project, supported by China's Ministry of Health, is part of Siemens's contribution of the Clinton Global Initiative to support the development of poorer areas in emerging countries.

In July 2007, Siemens donated RMB 1 million (112 180 Euro) worth of Siemens Mobile Memcor Intensive Water Purifying System to Wuxi Red Cross. The System has been installed at Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Center. The device can produce standard-conforming and safe drinking water from the tap water in Wuxi City.

Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh (China) has long been committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in China. On March 03, 2008, on the occasion of the ninth Ear Care Day, the company donated hearing aids and testing equipment, totaling RMB 1 million (112 180 Euro), to the Chongqing Municipal Foundation for hearing impaired persons. Meanwhile, the company also held the first National Ear Care Day Charity Concert in Beijing to call for attention and help towards children with hearing impaired disability. Up to a hundred of hearing impaired children were invited to the concert and received awards for their award winning paintings at the Siemens Children's Art Contest. These children were also offered opportunity to visit Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadiums.

Zielgruppe

Our target groups for all CSR activates under two of our aforementioned umbrella programs range from people in the poverty-stricken and disaster affected regions, Siemens Stakeholders, Society in general as well as Employees.

Implementierung

Strategie

A strong commitment to good Corporate Citizenship is a core value of Siemens that is based on the recognition that the company’s activities have a wider impact on the society in which it operates, and that developments in society in turn impact the company’s ability to pursue its business successfully. Siemens therefore actively manages the economic, social and environment impact of its activities, and realizes long-term benefits by working with local communities, government organizations and other key stakeholders.

Ressourcen

A variety of Siemens corporate citizenship activities are executed by utilizing the company competitive resources, i.e. the rural healthcare project with a total investment volume of USD 10 million (7,73 Mio. Euro) to provide help to sustainably improve healthcare in rural areas of China; the “Green Village Program” committing at least RMB 3 million (336 200 Euro) to provide safe daily water and energy saving solutions to improve the living conditions in the needy countryside.

Herausforderungen

As a result of the political and social climate of the Chinese society, it has become crucial for multinational companies to become involved in CSR projects in compliance with local government’s CSR initiatives, i.e. Chinese government environmental protection initiatives and energy saving schemes. Therefore, the company has been activity seeking any potential opportunity arisen in this area to tackle the increasingly concerned social and global environmental problems.

Ergebnisse

 Siemens kicked off a three-year "Green Village" program in Guangdong Province in 2007 committed to provide safe daily water and energy saving solutions to improve the living conditions in the needy countryside. Under the program, Siemens will commit at least RMB 3 million (336 200 Euro) to help needy villages to resolve the environmental problems seriously affecting daily lives of the villagers.

Its first pilot project is implemented in a village located in the Xinjiang town of Shaoguan City. Due to the insufficient existing water supply system and financial difficulties of the local government, the villiagers have been drinking unsafe portable water for decades. The problem has seriously affected the life of the villagers and posed a potential risk to the people’s health. After several on-site investigation and discussions with relevant local authorities, Siemens decided to donate a set of water purifying solution, equipment and services to Shangba villiage. Currently, the project is being implemented in Shangba. Under the project, Siemens will renovate the filtration pool, build an equipment room and install power facilities, and then install the water purifying equipment. Moreover, after the project is completed, Siemens will also provide equipment maintenance and operation training for the villiage maintenance staff, organize an international employee volunteers to the villiage and provide water resources and environmental protection education for Children.

Lessons Learned

Balance of different parties’ interest both internally and externally. I.e. how to consolidate efforts and provide most needed assistance to the needy group. We tried to understand and meet different needs of interest groups.