Pernod Ricard India Is Investing Over INR 50 Cr In Healthcare For COVID-19 Support

Amid the brutal second wave of COVID-19, Pernod Ricard India is rapidly scaling up its support to augment the government’s efforts to provide affected citizens with timely access to quality healthcare. Pernod Ricard India has earmarked INR 50 crores in healthcare for COVID-19 support and beyond, since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 18 crores have already been deployed since March 2020. Till date, PRI has supported the strengthening of critical care support infrastructure in public hospitals, with 100+ Intensive Care Ventilators, 105 HFNC (High Flow Nasal Cannulas) 140 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, 35 Multi Para Monitors, along with preventive healthcare support for personal & public hygiene with sanitizers, and masks across 17 states for Frontline COVID warriors like the Punjab Police Personnel, Indian Navy & Air Force (CSD), State Health Departments and Truck Drivers.

Mr. Thibault Cuny, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard India, and CEO, Pernod Ricard South Asia, said “The second wave of COVID-19 has impacted India in an inconceivable way, making it important for people across the community to come together. We are battling a situation we have never seen before and we salute the efforts our frontline workers, doctors, medical professions have shown. Pernod Ricard India has in the past risen to the needs of the nation, and we are committed to support the immediate emergency services needed to combat the crisis. We hope that our contribution will help our people in these challenging time as we explore other significant mediums to support our country.”

 The Oxygen Crisis of 2021 has affected millions of citizens, and PRI has further stepped its efforts by helping set up (Pressure Swing Adsorption) PSA units in large multi-specialty government hospitals. 8 PSA unit are being set up in hospitals; 5 in Uttar Pradesh, 1 at PGIMS Rohtak, 1 at Nashik, and 1 donated through the French government.

Pernod Ricard India has also supported setting up isolation wards, +350 Oxygen concentrators through the state health departments along with BIPAP machines and HFNCs across the country ensuring that more and more people get access to care when needed.

Since the first COVID-19 wave, 14 Mobile health Vans, 4 Ambulances have been serving the affected during these crisis times, taking care of primary healthcare needs of 2,81,700 community members. Over the next 3 years, the Mobile health Vans, ambulances will continue to reach out to more than 600 villages a year, providing access to quality healthcare and free medicines to those who have emerged victorious in their fight against the virus but still have residual effects and augment the vaccination efforts in rural India.

“The battle with COVID-19 is a challenging one, particularly for rural India, and that’s where the healthcare system will need the maximum support. Over the next 3 years, the Mobile Health Vans, ambulances will continue to reach out to more than 600 villages each year, providing doorstep access to quality primary healthcare, free medicines and accurate information to the rural poor; especially the women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities and those who may have emerged victorious in their fight against the virus but will need long term recovery support. The vans will also aid the local healthcare centers in scaling up the community vaccination efforts in rural India,” said further Mr. Thibault Cuny, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard India, and CEO, Pernod Ricard South Asia.