Wipro GE Healthcare (WGE) through its CSR efforts has undertaken multiple initiatives in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Along with its CSR partners – People to People Health Foundation (PPHF), Collective Good Foundation and United Way, the company has extended support in setting up dedicated Covid-19 isolation centres, ‘Smart Kiosks’ for population-based screening of Covid-19, PPE kits for healthcare workers and hygiene kits for the weaker sections of the society.
“The manner in which the government, healthcare sector, companies and society has come together to solve the challenges arising out of Covid-19 is truly outstanding,” said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, Managing Director, Wipro GE Healthcare. “Our CSR is focused around efforts that positively improve the lives of people and communities we serve. We are thankful to the State Governments and our NGO partners for these collaborative efforts and hope this helps them address the unprecedented demand arising out of this pandemic to meet patient needs and save lives.”
Partnership with Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi has established a dedicated COVID 19 Hospital (Block 1 and Block 2), a 5-floor Isolation Centre to support the increasing demand of COVID-19 patients. This isolation centre is supported through the CSR efforts of Wipro GE Healthcare (WGE) and its NGO partner People to People Health Foundation (PPHF). The facility houses 90 isolation beds and a dedicated ICU comprising of 30 motorized beds. In order to ensure the safety of doctors and frontline healthcare workers at RML, WGE and PPHF have also provided 500 PPE kits for doctors and 500 N95 masks for frontline healthcare workers.
Partnership with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka has transformed its administrative office at Kandhya Bhawan, Ramanagara District into a dedicated COVID-19 referral hospital. Wipro GE Healthcare and PPHF have partnered with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka to support this Isolation Centre with 50 Isolation beds and an ICU comprising of 9 motorized beds. WGE and PPHF have also provided 500 PPEs and N95 masks to ensure the safety of doctors and frontline healthcare workers in Bengaluru.
“India is courageously working in managing the Corona impact. We are committed to taking forward the vision of our government of a Corona free nation. We appreciate the timely support from Wipro GE Healthcare and People to People Health Foundation (PPHF) for supporting the dedicated COVID 19 referral hospital and donating essential protective supplies for emergency responders. Let us come out together stronger than ever as a nation,” said Sri. B. Sreeramulu, Honourable Health and Family Welfare Minister, Government of Karnataka.
Partnership with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Goa
The Government of Goa in collaboration with Wipro GE Healthcare has implemented ‘Smart kiosks’ for random population-based screening of Covid-19. This initiative will help address the increasing need for more community testing through a swift, robust and seamless sample collection process. Wipro GE Healthcare, through its CSR efforts, has designed and installed 12 ‘Smart Kiosks’ across the state. The Kiosk has been placed and started operations at the following locations: Verna Industrial Estate, Mapusa Industrial Estate, Dambolim airport, Mormugao Port Trust and at the border locations in Dodamarg, Keri, and Patradevi. The ‘Smart Kiosk’ was developed by design engineers at e-Cube, a one-of-its-kind design studio at Wipro GE’s innovation centre in Bengaluru.
“We are introducing state-of-art ‘Smart Kiosks’ to ensure the safety of both healthcare staff and citizens of Goa when sample collection is taking place. These Kiosks will go a long way in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the state of Goa.”, says Shri Vishwajit Rane, Honourable Health Minister of Goa. “Effective partnership between Govt. and Industry is critical when dealing with challenges like the one we face today. I am thankful to Wipro GE Healthcare, who through their CSR efforts have come forward to support this initiative by designing an innovative kiosk and having it implemented across 12 locations in Goa.”
About the Smart Walk-in Sample Collection Kiosk
The ‘Smart Kiosk’ consists of two enclosures, one for citizens and one for healthcare staff which are separated by a see-through, airtight partition. Both enclosures have separate entries, lighting and ventilation arrangements, and have a mic and speaker for communication between the healthcare worker and the citizen. The partition wall houses a pair of replaceable gloves and a sanitizing gel dispenser to enable safe sample collection. An attendant (wearing a PPE) will first collect basic information about people coming for tests: vitals (weight, age, any existing health condition), persons travel history, if they have come in contact with any known Covid-19 patients, and check their temperature using an IR temperature gun. This information is stored in an app that is being used by the Government of Goa. Post that citizens will be provided with a kit (swab) to collect samples for testing. They then move to the sample collection enclosure where the Healthcare worker (who is on the other enclosure) collects the sample, hands back the swab to the person who puts it in a vial, drops it in an icebox and walks away. The Kiosk is disinfected after every sample collection.
Distribution of Hygiene kits in Bengaluru for weaker sections of the society
Wipro GE Healthcare partnered with United Way, an NGO to support deserving people linked to three Public Health Centers (PHCs) at Kadugodi, KR Puram and Avallahalli in Bengaluru with 3000 Hygiene kits (comprising of sanitizers, soaps, towels and face masks), 9000 face masks and 150 sanitizer units that are laced in the three PHCs.
Article Credit: thecsrjournal