Optum, a part of UnitedHealth Group (UHG), has committed Rs. 11,45,68,775 to fight the COVID -19 pandemic in India. The funding is part of a $10 Million COVID-19 global fund committed by UnitedHealth Group for countries where its businesses operate.
Optum contributes Rs. 4.65 crores towards Prime Minister’s CARES fund, Rs. 2.30 crores towards Chief Minister Relief fund – Govt. of Telangana, Rs. 2.30 crores towards Haryana Corona Relief Fund, Government of Haryana and Rs. 2.20 crores to Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) India.
The contribution will provide urgent assistance to the most impacted communities, including health care workers, hard-hit and underserved citizens, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity as well as government labs experiencing a shortage of equipment.
“The COVID-19 public health emergency has compounded the many challenges faced by India’s frontline health workers and vulnerable residents experiencing loss of income; our efforts are aimed at these sections,” said Ritesh Talapatra, Managing Director of Optum Global Solutions (India).
Of the committed Rs. 11 crores, Optum has contributed:
Rs. 4,65,18,775 to the Prime Minister’s CARES Fund to support the affected citizens, including migrant workers.
Rs. 2,30,00,000 to the Chief Minister Relief fund – Government of Telangana, to extend a helping hand to the poorest of the poor who are in distress.
Rs. 2,30,00,000 to the Haryana Corona Relief Fund – Govt. of Haryana to support the citizens who are adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rs. 2,20,50,000 to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) India, to improve the capacity of government labs for the diagnosis of COVID-19 through supply of essential equipment and consumables.
“We hope that our contributions to the Prime Minister’s CARES Fund, Chief Minister Relief fund for the Government of Telangana, Haryana Corona Relief Fund, for the Government of Haryana and partnership with FIND India will provide critical aid to those that need it most” said Nishid Sachdeva, Vice President Operations and Country Lead – Optum Global Solutions (India).
“FIND is committed to strengthening India’s laboratory diagnostic network to allow rapid scale-up of the country’s response to COVID-19” said Dr. Sanjay Sarin, Country Head, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) India.
“We would like to thank Optum for their generous contribution as building lab capacity is needed more than ever to reduce the spread of disease and flatten the curve.”
