By Rohit Vaid
New Delhi, May 25 (IANS): Global alcohol major Pernod Ricard India has initiated a unique strategy to not just deal with Covid's present resurgence but even its after-effects.
Accordingly, PRI's two pronged strategy focuses on one hand to augment medical infra such as oxygen plants, mobile inoculation and healthcare units to deal with the current resurgence and then to ensure that these systems are used beyond the second wave to deal with Covid's after effects.
The company is specifically focusing on rural India. It has invested about Rs 18 crore since 2020 and plans to substantially increase this amount to over Rs 50 crore in the coming period.
In a conversation with IANS, Thibault Cuny, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard India, and CEO, Pernod Ricard South Asia emphasised: "The second wave has impacted India in an inconceivable way. We are battling a situation we have never seen before."
"The battle is challenging one, particularly for rural India, and that's where the healthcare system will need the maximum support."
According to Cuny, in a novel approach the company's 14 mobile healthcare vans as well as 4 ambulances will reach out to more than 600 villages a year even after the current wave subsides.
"Over the next three 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," he said.
"The vans will also aid the local healthcare centers in scaling up the community vaccination efforts in rural India."
Besides, the healthcare vans the company has stepped up efforts to install 'Pressure Swing Adsorption' (PSA) units in large multi-specialty government hospitals.
At present, PRI is setting up eight PSA unit in hospitals; out of which five are in Uttar Pradesh, and one each at PGIMS Rohtak, one in Nashik, and one was donated through the French government.
Furthermore, it has supported setting up isolation wards as well as providing over 350 oxygen concentrators through the state health departments along with 'BIPAP machines and HFNCs'.
Till date, PRI has provided critical care support infrastructure in public hospitals, withAmore than 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 and public hygiene with sanitisers, and masks across 17 states.