United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) and Mastercard® made gratuitous donations of approximately BGN 120　000 to 8 Bulgarian hospitals for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds were collected under two initiatives, conducted in April, with the funds being distributed among hospitals involved in treatment of coronavirus patients in Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Gabrovo, Vidin, Ruse and Varna towns.

„At the beginning of the state of emergency, together with Mastercard®, we made a donation of BGN 200　000 to Military Medical Academy (MMA) for upgrading MMA’s specialized laboratory, which performed the majority of coronavirus tests. As a subsequent step, we wanted to help the large hospitals across the country, also admitting for treatment a large number of COVID-19 cases. I am happy that we have succeeded in collecting a substantial amount of funds and at the same time, in expanding on the usage of alternative digital channels, which enable full-fledged use of banking and financial services while fully complying with the social distancing requirements. Thus the benefit to the public is a twofold one.“ – commented Peter Andronov, Chief Executive Officer of UBB and Country Manager of KBC Group for Bulgaria.

Over the period 1 April to 30 April 2020, UBB decided to donate its fees for BGN transactions via UBB Mobile with the aim of encouraging more people to stay at home and perform main banking operations remotely as an alternative to visiting a bank office. As an additional measure to limit cash payments, which might induce coronavirus spread, UBB and Mastercard® announced a joint initiative. Again throughout the entire month of April, every transaction made with a UBB-issued and Mastercard®-branded card, added funds to the total amount of the donation.

The total amount, raised under both initiatives, was BGN 117　351.65. The funds were evenly allocated among eight large country regions – Plovdiv, Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Blagoevgard, Varna, Burgas, Vidin and Ruse:

Infectious Disease Clinic at UMBAL SV. GEORGI EAD, Plovdiv

MBAL TOTA VENKOVA, Gabrovo town

UMBAL PROF. DR. STOYAN KIRKOVICH AD, Stara Zagora town

MBAL BLAGOEVGRAD AD, Blagoevgrad town

First and Second Infectious Clinic at UMBAL SV. MARINA EAD, Varna town

UMBAL Burgas, Burgas town

MBAL SV. PETKA AD, Vidin town

MBAL KANEV AD, Ruse town

“It is Mastercard’s priority to contribute at local level, to support and include endangered and isolated groups of people, and to exert an impact in a situation of an unprecedented crisis by means of its global opportunities, technologies and solutions to provide people with protection and security. It is important for us to donate and engage together – with cardholders and partners – to modernize medicine and safeguard people at the front line, the ones we all form a system with, in a community.” – added Vanya Manova, Mastercard® Manager for Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.