Page 16 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21

10 Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21 11

Supporting frontline research Free fuel for emergency service
and trials vehicles
In the first phase of the pandemic, Sir H N Reliance Foundation To support frontline workers across India, Reliance Response COVID-19
Hospital was the only institution in Mumbai which was part of Foundation provided 27+ lakh litres of free fuel to 70,000+
the multi-centre clinical PLACID trials run by the Indian Council of government notified ambulances and vehicles engaged in
Medical Research (ICMR). This randomised controlled trial tried COVID-19 services across 332 districts in 21 states and three
to assess the safety and efficacy of using plasma, taken from Union Territories during this critical period.
convalescing patients, to limit the damage caused by COVID-19
in patients recovering from the illness.

Mission COVID Suraksha
Reliance Foundation's exclusive 10-bed dialysis centre at the Reliance Foundation's MMUs in Shahdol, MP providing
Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care primary care and raising community awareness on COVID-19 Reliance Foundation launched Mission COVID Suraksha, a Reliance Foundation provided
Hospital, Mumbai protocols programme to support the prevention of COVID-19. Initiated 1.3+ crore masks to frontline warriors
in November 2020, the campaign reinforced the importance and communities
Essential tertiary care Ensuring primary healthcare of wearing a mask even as communities resumed livelihood
activities. Across 22 states and two Union Territories to
Many chronic illnesses require uninterrupted treatment. Reliance Foundation’s nine MMUs operated in Shahdol help them stay safe
With medical facilities taken up with the treatment of in Madhya Pradesh, Nagothane and Dahanu in Through Mission COVID Suraksha, Reliance Foundation
COVID-19, patients found it hard to access treatments like Maharashtra, Jhajjar in Haryana and Ghazipur in Uttar reached out to an array of people – from street vendors A multi-lingual booklet, distributed
dialysis. Pradesh, providing primary care and easing the pressure and transport workers to local food stall workers and daily with the mask
on the local health infrastructure. wagers. The objective was to help them carry out their role
To address this problem, Reliance Foundation set up an of providing essential services to the community in a manner Informed users about the proper ways of wearing a
exclusive 10-bed dialysis centre at the Hindu Hriday Samrat The MMUs also raised community awareness on that ensured their personal safety. The campaign intensified mask and ensuring mask hygiene
Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital, Mumbai, in COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing, mask- from March 2021 as several states saw a renewed spurt of
collaboration with the BMC for uninterrupted quality care wearing and hand-washing. COVID-19.
for dialysis patients. Providing PPE kits
Reliance Foundation MMUs These measures were undertaken across the country, There was an urgent need to augment the country’s stock of
reached primary care to people including near the manufacturing locations such as around personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers as
Vadodara, villages around the Dahej Manufacturing Division,
While creating awareness on COVID-19 protocols Bharuch Nagar Palika and Surat Municipal Corporation. India did not have domestic production capacity to meet this
Infrastructure support was provided to develop and need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
upgrade healthcare medical facilities near plant locations Amidst the increasing global shortage of kits, Reliance swung
at the Vadodara centre, together with providing diagnostic into action and imported supplies through a joint mission
machines and ventilators. A quarantine centre at the with the national carrier, Air India. Reliance also repurposed
Paediatric and Adult Critical Care Units enhanced at RFH for COVID-19 treatment Patalganga plant in Lodhivali, Raigad, was handed over to the a manufacturing facility in Gujarat to make PPE, ramping up
District Collector. production within weeks to 1,00,000 kits per day.
Given the rise in COVID-19 cases among children and
adolescents, RFH focused on augmenting its paediatric Reliance Foundation evolved a participatory model, Rapid testing is widely considered as the most accurate
and specialised child-care facilities. procuring masks stitched by Self-Help Groups and common COVID-19 test and gives the government an up-to-date picture
interest groups in Nagothane, Vadodara and Shahdol. of the virus spread. This is taken into account while deciding on
It is currently operating a 650-bed dedicated COVID care These gave them the much-needed income during the where and what public health efforts should be undertaken. In
facility at National Sports Club of India (NSCI), Worli. lockdown — and the masks were distributed across the initial phase of the pandemic, India had to rapidly enhance
Of the 650 beds, 100 are ICU beds equipped to provide surrounding villages, Panchayats, RGSS, and government its testing capacity. Reliance Life Sciences is operating two
paediatric care, with 20 beds exclusively earmarked for offices, including the District Collector, Municipal COVID-19 RT-PCR and antibody testing labs at Navi Mumbai
paediatric care. Commissioner and the Vadodara Member of Parliament. and Jamnagar.
The ICU beds are equipped with adult and paediatric
ventilators, monitoring devices, dialysis support and
oxygen supply for management of critical patients.
Keeping COVID warriors and their families safe
A team of over 500 frontline workers comprising doctors, Manisha Shambharkar from village Selu Kate, District That was till she received masks from Reliance Foundation.
nurses and non-medical professionals, have been Wardha, has been an ASHA worker for close to a decade. Under Mission COVID Suraksha, the Reliance Foundation
Dedicated COVID-19 care facility at National Sports Club of India deployed for the medical management of the patients. The She provides crucial door-to-door services in her village, distributed secure, protective face masks to all ASHA
(NSCI), Worli, Mumbai facility also features tele-ICU centres to enable round-the-
clock integrated medical management and cross-specialty generating awareness on COVID-19, wearing a thin scarf on workers so they could do their job without being worried.
her rounds instead of a proper mask.
This small but impactful step also helped keep families of
consultation.
To enhance preparedness against COVID-19 in Mumbai, the ASHA workers safe.
Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital (RFH) increased adult, The expenses for the project – comprising beds, monitors,
paediatric and ICU beds in the city to support the efforts paediatric and adult ventilators and medical equipment –
of the Government of Maharashtra and the Brihanmumbai are borne by Reliance Foundation and patients admitted at For my daily survey for various health schemes of the government, I go from house to
Municipal Corporation (BMC). NSCI are being treated absolutely free. house in the village. So, I was always worried about myself and my family. But today,
my family and I are safe after receiving masks from Reliance Foundation.

Manisha Shambharkar
Selu Kate, District Wardha