Piramal Enterprises : Swasthya Supports Bihar Government; Helps Control the COVID Situation in Aspirational Districts

PRESS RELEASE

Piramal Swasthya Supports Bihar Government; Helps Control the COVID Situation in

Aspirational Districts

• Working closely with the Bihar government across 5 Aspirational Districts - Sitamarhi, Katihar, Araria, Sheikhpura and Begusarai
• Engaging with locals on over 3 lakh proactive calls since April 15, 2021

Patna | 11 May, 2021: Piramal Swasthya Management and Research Institute, the primary healthcare and nutrition initiative under the aegis of Piramal Foundation, in partnership with Government of Bihar is collectively working to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic across five Aspirational Districts of the state - Sitamarhi, Katihar, Araria, Sheikhpura and Begusarai. Piramal Swasthya has collaborated with the district administrations of these Districts, to anchor COVID control rooms. The team is undertaking several critical initiatives including monitoring field activities of ASHAs, collating reports and running analysis towards real-time planning to combat the pandemic.

Since April 15, 2021, the team has proactively conducted more than 3 lakh outbound calls to the beneficiaries from 40 control rooms across the five Aspirational Districts. The ~300 calls that are made daily, address concerns related to COVID symptoms, precautions to be taken under home quarantine, home remedies and fear of reinfection.

Piramal Swasthya's officials have undertaken the responsibility of tracking COVID patients undergoing home quarantine and migrants returning to their families, through outbound calls on a daily basis. Further, they are ensuring that the beneficiaries receive the required medicines along with appropriate counselling to the patients and family members. All this information is compiled and shared with district administration on a regular basis.

Aditya Natraj, CEO, Piramal Foundation said, "We at Piramal Swasthya, have been working in tandem with the Bihar government to provide essential support in the Aspirational Districts of the state. The ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown multiple challenges on-ground that include high rate of infection across age groups, lack of oxygen, inadequate trained medical human resources, amongst others. To reduce the load on the health system, we have prioritized the responsibility to manage and support home quarantine, and are offering counselling through a combination of remote and on- ground activities."

Udayan Mishra, IAS, District Magistrate, Katihar said, "Piramal Swasthya's efforts are very appreciative. The pandemic's second wave has posed great difficulties in the lives of individuals. The rising infections and reverse migration have resulted in high stress on the existing healthcare infrastructure. Piramal Swasthya's team working along with the district administration is a significant progress in the collaborative efforts required during this pandemic."

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About Piramal Foundation

Piramal Foundation is a Section 8 company that develops innovative solutions to resolve issues that are critical roadblocks towards unlocking India's economic potential. The Piramal Group's core values of Knowledge, Action Care, and Impact guide the organization in carrying out its responsibilities towards society. It believes that considerable positive change can occur when we collaborate with like-minded partners and nurture projects that are scalable, ensuring a long-term impact. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Piramal Foundation is focused on universal primary education, empowering women, reducing child mortality rates, improving maternal health, and improving access to safe drinking water. The projects are implemented through Piramal Swasthya, Piramal Sarvajal, and Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership. In 2018, Piramal Foundation partnered with NITI Aayog to transform 25 Aspirational Districts across 7 states in India. The Foundation currently works across 25 states and has impacted over 112 million lives, mostly in partnership with state governments.

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