Frontliners, NGOs benefit from the Bio Arte donations

Frontliners of Malta’s National Health Service, visitors to its various outlets and a number of local non-governmental organisations have benefited from a donation of thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser liquid by The Bio Arte Limited, which only last year sequenced the Maltese strain of Covid-19 (SARS CoV-2).

The hand sanitiser liquid, in 100 ml and 500 ml bottles, was delivered last week to the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit of the Health Ministry, apart from the Dar tal-Providenza, the Malta Hospice Movement and the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS).

Christian Duchow and Manuele Biazzo, directors of The Bio Arte, decided to make the donation to underline their start-up’s commitment to contribute to the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic and follows the start-up’s decision to dedicate resources to the better understanding of the Maltese Covid19 viral isolates.

“We decided to make these donations for the greater benefit of Maltese society and to underline our commitment to support key stakeholders who are, in their own way, contributing to a better society,” Dr Biazzo said.

There was gratitude from all those who received these generous donations. Ing. Karl Farrugia, managing director of the CPSU, said the hand sanitiser is part of the first line of defence that all those in the National Health Service constantly use in the course of their work and for visitors to their various outlets.

Nadine Camilleri Cassano, administrator of the Dar tal-Providenza said hand sanitisers were always in demand and thanked Bio Arte for their altruistic donation. Anna Frendo, Care Services manager at the Malta Hospice Movement, welcomed the donation and expressed her gratitude, on behalf of all the service users, for such a useful donation.

Regina Catrambone, co-founder

and director of MOAS, said the donation is highly appreciated and will be distributed among the migrant communities on the island.

The Bio Arte’s laboratories, based at the Life Sciences Park in San Gwann, were only inaugurated in November and the company, which employs a team of medical laboratory scientists and virologists – many with Ph.Ds, is committed to continue not only to detect SARS CoV-2viral isolates, but also to perform research in the same field in order to obtain new information that may help the scientific community in the development of new remedies. Its research of the sequencing

of the first 10 virus isolates from St James Hospital, Sliema, for which the funding was totally internal, were published last year by the American Society of Microbiology and the information is freely available on their website.

Among Bio Arte’s services, beside the Covid screening services (antigenic and molecular), is the research-based clinical examination of persons, who are referred to the company by their doctors, to obtain a comprehensive outline of all the micro-organisms in their body, correlated with the latest data in research literature worldwide and the implication on their health.

Nadine Camilleri Cassano, administrator of the Dar tal-Providenza and Kenneth Delia, CEO of the Malta Hospice Movement, who also received the donation of the hand sanitisers

Dr Manuele Biazzo, director of The Bio Arte making the donation to Regina Catrambone, co-founder and director of MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station)

Dr Biazzo making the donation to Salvinu Azzopardi of the CPSU