Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has teamed up with industry partners to launch a global logistics initiative that aims to speed up the delivery of medical aid donations to areas in China hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

The pneumonia-like virus has to date killed well over 400 people and the Chinese authorities have reported over 20,000 confirmed cases. Its spread is straining hospital services at the epicentre of the outbreak in Hubei province and caused shortages of key medical supplies.

Cainiao said the so-called Green Channel initiative was in response to “surging demand for protective clothing and medical supplies, especially for frontline medical staff in Hubei”. Governments, companies, social entities and NGOs can dial a 24-hour hotline to arrange free delivery of packages over 100 kilos containing medical supplies, such as surgical masks, disinfectant, protective suits and safety goggles.

Since the Green Channel’s launch, Cainiao said it had received over 7,000 calls and shipped well over five million pieces of medical supplies to Wuhan and neighbouring cities in Hubei province.

“Every partner is dedicated to putting all resources available into this important initiative,” said He Yulin, project manager of the Cainiao Green Channel. “When we pool everyone’s advantages, the results are maximized.”

Industry peers supporting the initiative include carriers and logistics companies such as ZTO, STO, Best Logistics, Yunda Express, AirCity, DB Schenker, 4PX and Danniao.

To ensure efficiency, Cainiao immediately follows up on every request made through the hotline, deciding which partner is best suited to handle that order, He added.

While it typically takes up to a week to deliver cargo from New York to Wuhan, Cainiao said it worked with customs authorities to speed clearance at airports and ports, cutting the overall shipment time to under three days.

It has also developed an online system for donors to submit all the necessary documents, leading to a significantly quicker customs clearance process. Cainiao used this system in Seoul, for example, to speed up the time required to move 50 tonnes of face masks onto three Shanghai-bound planes, accelerating the loading time to five hours, down from the average of eight hours.

Cainiao also uses big-data capabilities to monitor each link along the logistics chain to help carriers avoid accidents and delays.

To facilitate the Green Channel’s fast-delivery processes, it opened a 6,000-sqm warehouse in Wuhan dedicated to storing and dispatching medical supplies.

So far, more than five million masks, 500,000 medical gloves, 40,000 sets of protective clothing, 20,000 goggles, 7,000 cases of disinfectant fluids, 30 tonnes of intravenous drips and over 40 tonnes of food have been delivered to Hubei province from donors around the world.

These include Unicef, the Wuhan University Alumni Association in New York and individuals and other organizations in Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, the US and the UK.

Some economists and analysts believe the economic impact of the coronavirus will eclipse the 2003 SARS crisis. Share prices in China fell by around by 8% yesterday – the largest daily drop for more than four years – and analysts have downgraded their forecasts for the country’s growth, despite China’s central bank saying yesterday it would inject around US$175 billion worth of liquidity into markets, financial news sources reported.

Source：lloydslist

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The OLO News.