COVID-19: INTERVIEW WITH NAOUFEL FILALI, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, Novartis

“Our activity is focused on our civic action”

What is Novartis’s situation in Morocco in this context of health crisis?

Today, as a global leader in the pharmaceutical sector, our role is first and foremost to secure all our actions with regard to our stakeholders. To deal with the current health crisis, we reacted very quickly on two essential points: securing medicine supplies in order to ensure the required stock levels and avoid any risk of shortage; and putting in place the necessary measures to reduce the exposure of our employees.

At the same time, we have focused our activity on our civic action in order to help patients, professionals in the sector and the public health authorities. Thus, together with the association of pharmaceutical multinationals (LEMM*), we are going to make a joint donation to the Special Fund dedicated to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, our Group has announced the donation of 130 million doses of hydroxychloroquine worldwide, a molecule that represents a potential therapeutic solution for the treatment of Covid-19. We are currently working closely with our health authorities and our parent company so that our country can benefit from this molecule as quickly as possible.

How do you reconcile continuing work with the safety of your employees?

Since the beginning of March, all international travel has been suspended and since 14 March the majority of our employees have been working remotely. We have also suspended medical promotion activities. Some of our employees continue to work on site, because they work in critical departments such as supply. But we have reduced their travel to a minimum to protect them. As for managers within the same department, we have decided that they cannot come to our premises at the same time. This is to reinforce distancing, protect them better and help them feel more at ease. With our teams working remotely, we have set up regular meetings because, beyond monitoring activity, it is important to know that our employees are doing well.

In your view, what is the positive aspect of this crisis?

The surge of solidarity nationally and within our teams is very positive and very encouraging. It is really important to focus on the present and on the help we can provide. Moreover, this context is giving rise to innovative solutions, everything to do with digital platforms, which are likely to take up even more space in the future. For the present, what is essential is to ensure smooth communication in order to keep our teams informed of the situation and give them a perspective. It is absolutely necessary to reaffirm the needs of one’s customers, because certainties no longer apply in times of crisis. We must listen to the field teams and show agility and responsiveness. This crisis shows us that some models can be reimagined, notably thanks to digitalisation.

*Les Entreprises du Médicament au Maroc