Being the household representative of the Georgian medical sector, PSP has long been established as a brand that positively impacts society. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and providing support to those who need it the most, PSP has embedded CSR deep within the corporate culture. Sending under 1million GEL of humanitarian cargo in Ukraine, supporting Ukrainian families in Georgia and organising numerous charity events are just some of the activities that the company initiates, The financial reached out to Natia Khabeishvili, the PR Manager at PSP to find out more.
Q. How long has PSP been pursuing CSR activities and how deep is it implemented in the corporate culture? What is the primary goal of your CSR projects?
A. PSP as a socially responsible company has been actively introducing quality products and services since its establishment in 1994, which has positively impacted the quality of life of our citizens.
PSP is one of the first Georgian companies, which has chosen to promote a healthy lifestyle and has been actively supporting various sports such as rugby, judo, basketball, boxing and mini-football since the 2000s for the interest of younger generations.
Since 2009, the football team of PSP has won numerous awards, including multiple business league championships, which highlight each employee’s attitude towards a healthy lifestyle.
PSP has also been actively supporting the tree-planting initiative, being among the first to refuse to use cellophane bags.
Q. What is the importance of the medical industry initiating CSR events?
A. PSP is constantly developing the medical sector with its activities, providing access to quality medicines for the entire country since the 90s.
Healthcare companies are taking more responsibility for social matters, protecting employees’ labour rights, and the environment while conducting fair business with partners and consumers.
PSP has made an active and significant contribution to the formation and development of the Georgian pharmaceutical industry and continues to operate in this direction. The medical field has a great impact on society by providing quality medicine.
The attitude was particularly relevant during the 2020-2021 pandemic and all of the measures were taken to ensure the safety of our employees and consumers. All of our employees continued serving the population while providing a continuous supply of medicine, baby food and self-care products. We have also strengthened our online pharmacy and increased the supply channels to provide even more convenience and efficiency.
PSP Online Pharmacy has been providing services in the capital since the first days of the pandemic, adding services to 4 major cities of Georgia since the end of March 2020, thus providing uninterrupted access to a large part of the Georgian population during the lockdown period.
Q. What are the initiated CSR projects that you are most proud of?
A. PSP covers several CSR areas, including the promotion and promotion of a healthy lifestyle, this is the list of campaigns that we have initiated and supported:
- With our support, the Judo Federation has opened a modern judo hall in several regions and different districts of Tbilisi. We are proud to contribute to the development of young judo athletes and their entry into the international arena.
- Supported the national basketball team, basketball club “Dinamo” and “Cactus” for years and this cooperation continues.
- Supported “Mini Football School League” for the first time organised in 2019 by the Sports Management Academy, Tbilisi City Hall and the local assembly, where students schools in Tbilisi and Batumi are participating this year. In 2021, the winning team of the project represented Georgia for the first time at the World Mini-Football Youth Championship, and the Georgian mini-football team will participate in the European Mini-Football Championship on June 4-11 this year.
- Up to 200 PSP employees take part in the Wings for Life World Run every year, with 12 employees running 10km and 12.5km each year; The maximum result is 25 km.
- A team of Georgian veteran runners was sent to Dubai to compete for the first time (2017) (to participate in the most popular world run)
- The football team staffed by PSP has won numerous prizes in FC PSP mini-football, including the 2014 Georgian champion. They are the three times winners of the Business Champions League.
- A 4-member team consisting of PSP staff members climbed several peaks and raised the PSP flag on them.
- The first Georgian company to support the European Summer Youth Olympic Festival in 2015. In the Olympic city built for athletes in Tbilisi, PSP-Pharmacy hosted foreign athletes.
- The PSP Bowling Team is a consistent leader and champion in bowling corporate championships.
- A successful team in rafting, won championships among Georgian business companies 3 times.
- PSP has implemented several environmental protection projects.
- From 2010 to 2012, as part of the campaign, PSP employees planted trees in the suburbs of Tbilisi, as well as in the yard of the Trinity Cathedral.
- In 2015, was the first to respond to an initiative by the Ministry of Environment to reject cellophane parks to reduce pollution with harmful environmental wastes.
- In 2016, this process was completed and the entire PSP network across Georgia (then 230, today 301) serves customers with biodegradable bags in pharmacies. Another novelty in paper packages has also been introduced.
- Was the first to get involved in the campaign to stop cutting spruce in 2016.
- Green recycling boxes are located everywhere at the company’s headquarters.
- Education Support: Funding tuition for underprivileged students accounts for almost a third of PSP’s CSR activity;
- The company supports events organized by students and/or student self-governments and encourages student involvement; This year, PSP supported the events held at GTU and A. Tsereteli University to present an educational program for the 12th graders.
- PSP got involved in the project, under The Christmas performances of the State Drama Theater of K. Marjanishvili will be attended by children who have never been to the theatre before from the settlement of Tserovani (villages: Ditsi, Nikozi, Zemo Nikozi, Garikula, Magaroskari and Ninotsminda).
- Every year PSP invites local children at the Borjomi Puppet Theater to New Year performances.
- In 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the National Library of Parliament, to which the PSP has already handed over school textbooks. Under the memorandum, the company is actively involved in equipping rural libraries.
- Supports educational campaigns and conferences of the Pharmacists Association.
- Orders various products from individuals as Christmas and Easter gifts and holds charity exhibitions for PSP employees.
- Has been participating in New Year’s charitable events with various resources (products, gift attributes, financial support) over the years, including the “New Year’s Market” organized annually by the French Embassy.
- PSP has been supporting the monthly publication and events of the special magazine under the slogan “Nothing is Restricted”. The magazine employs people with disabilities, which ensures their active involvement.
- With the support of PSP play “Medea” was staged on the experimental stage of Rustaveli (2016) with the joint participation of children with Down Syndrome and people with disabilities.
- Organised campaign #CaringForYouMakesMeHappy – from 2020 to the present which introduces interesting people to the community who cares about other people, traditions, literacy, folklore and more through their activities. The project combines Anzor Erkomaishvili, Giorgi Kekelidze, the creator of the social theatre “Azdaki Garden” Bacho Gabruashvili, Baia Abuladze, Anna Goguadze (“Cafe of Mziuri”) and etc., The project will continue to introduce interesting people and activities to the public.
- Charity activities, including medical and social projects. The share of funding for medical activities – operations and treatment has been especially large.
- Medication support for charitable events in the border regions is organized several times a year, including by the organizations Georgian Dream – Healthy Georgia and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
- PSP has been a regular supporter of the Catharsis Foundation for many years (hosting several free dinners each year);
- Dimitri Tsintsadze’s cooperation with the fund for several years includes the activity of both the company and the employees, who have been crediting the fund’s account every month for years.
- Supporting the Natvris Khe Charitable Foundation at a charity concert to raise money for children’s treatment.
- Supporting the events of the charity fund “Remembrance of the Fatherland”.
- Supports the celebration of the birthday of the great poet with the Vazha Pshavela Foundation.
- PSP is a supporter of 2-3 charity concerts per year for the elderly and homeless;
- Supporter of Mtatsminda District War and Military Veterans Union, House of Virtues and Lantern of Kindness.
- During the holidays, the PSP team visits orphanages give them presents and create a festive mood. A similar event is organized by the company to support and encourage young children in the penitentiary institution.
- Appreciation of meritorious and honoured public figures and support of anniversary events (Gia Kancheli, Buba Kikabidze, Vazha Azarashvili, Vazha Durglishvili, Merab Sepashvili, etc.);
- Participation in charitable marathons such as “Iavnana” and “First Step” organized by Dito Tsintsadze and other foundations.
- Periodic support of the Patriarch’s Foundation, several temples and the newspaper of Trinity Cathedral.
Q. The importance of showing support to Ukraine can not be understated, what has been the contribution and impact of PSP?
A. During the tragic events of the Russian-Ukrainian war, PSP was quick to send GEL 300, 000 of humanitarian cargo in support of Ukraine. PSP, one of the first Georgian companies involved in humanitarian activities on February 27, along with the first humanitarian shipment from Georgia to Ukraine.
As a symbol of support, as of February 28, Ukrainian flags and humanitarian aid collection boxes were placed in PSP pharmacies along with the Georgian flag, all those interested could contribute to the support of the Ukrainian people.
In the second stage, baby food, porridge, milk and tea worth GEL 20,000 were donated to the Embassy of Ukraine for humanitarian assistance.
A $50 000 fund created by the strategic partner of PSP, Korean company Mizon was doubled and $95,000 worth of medicines and baby food was sent to the Ukrainian Embassy in the form of humanitarian aid.
The Georgian office of the International Breast Cancer, Europe Donna Georgia handed over the necessary oncomedicine for the Ukrainian beneficiaries.
PSP staff has been actively involved in the #GE4UA fundraising campaign since day one; With the collected funds, PSP will provide medicines to the initiative group on special terms.
PSP continued to support Ukraine with projects to support Ukrainian citizens in Georgia.
Despite the ongoing war, on March 8, to mark International Women’s Day, PSP presented a set of European personal care products to Ukrainian women in Georgia.
PSP handed over special discount cards and a set of personal care products to 300 Ukrainian families in Georgia by the end of the year.
It should be noted that PSP delivers products at special prices to all the organizations that send medicine, baby food and diapers as humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Q. Are there any long-term CSR projects that PSP will continuously pursue?
A. The company conducts business based on the principles of ethics and fairness, aimed to positively impact society and the natural environment and to ensure the economic development of our employees, their families, consumers and our country. PSP brings hundreds of millions of GEL annually to the national budget, which is significant to our economy. We guarantee the income of 5,000 households and provide them with corporate insurance and professional development support for each employee.
Health is the most precious asset a person can have, and our company aims to support and promote a healthy lifestyle along with increasing the availability of quality medicines and medical products necessary for health. In this regard, the company is still actively pursuing ongoing projects and working on new campaigns.
Taking care of health starts from an early age, therefore we try to maximize the involvement in school championships. The school mini-footballing championship in Tbilisi was held for the first time in 2019 with the support of PSP, organized by Sports Management Academy, Tbilisi City Hall and the public assembly. The project was a pilot in which teams of students from all public schools in Tbilisi participated.
In 2021, about 100 public and private schools in Tbilisi participated in the project, with a total of 1,000 participants. In the same year, the winning team of the project represented Georgia for the first time at the World Mini-Football Youth Championship.
The project is expanding and developing, in 2022, and a new sport has been added to the tournament – handball, within which the winning girls and boys teams have already been identified. The area of the project is expanding as well, taking place in Batumi, and it is planned to expand the project to Kutaisi.
This year, from June 4-11, the Georgian mini-football team will participate in the European Mini-Football Championship. The team consists of 8 players and the head coach of FC PSP.,
FC PSP – A football team staffed by the company’s staff, FC PSP has won numerous prizes in mini-football, including the 2014 Georgian championship and the Business Champions League three times.
At the first historic appearance of the Georgian national team at the European Futsal Championship, two members of the FC PSP football family (the second coach and the striker of the national team) were printed on this sheet of Georgian mini-football history.
In addition to mini-football, PSP has several successful teams of employees in bowling and rafting, and a 4-man team of climbers celebrating the conquest of the peaks by hoisting the PSP flag.
One of the main tasks of our company is to be an exemplary company in the field and the country, to set an example of establishing a healthy lifestyle for the society and the youth, and to support the promotion of a healthy lifestyle in the society.
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