CSR: Honeywell partners with Americares to build healthcare capacities in Maharashtra

Collaboration includes Honeywell equipment donation that will strengthen local primary healthcare centers

Mumbai: Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF), the philanthropic arm of Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, has partnered with Americares India Foundation, a health-focused relief and development organization, to strengthen 24 primary healthcare centers (PHC) in rural areas across three districts in Maharashtra, and donate more than 3,000 units of equipment required to strengthen services at these PHCs.

“The pandemic has made clear the need for significant improvements to the healthcare system, especially in remote towns and villages. At Honeywell, our vision is to improve the lives of communities we serve. In our newest corporate social responsibility initiative, we are working towards making quality healthcare accessible and equitable in far-flung areas of Maharashtra,” said Ashish Gaikwad, President, Honeywell India and Director, HHSIF.

HHSIF and Americares worked with the state government to select PHCs that require support across Pune, Thane, and Ahmednagar districts. A customized assessment tool was deployed to assess these PHCs to identify gaps in infrastructure and services.

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Shripad Desai, MD & Country Director, Americares India Foundation, said, “The Government’s National Health Mission focuses on primary and secondary healthcare centers and is accountable and responsive to the needs of people. PHCs are critical for improving health outcomes, including for non-communicable diseases. To achieve universal health coverage, it is important to focus on strengthening primary healthcare.”

HHSIF and Americares have identified close to 100 types of equipment that are required in these PHCs. These include diagnostic equipment such as ECG machines, multipara monitors, retinoscopes, laryngoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, hemoglobinometers and foetal doppler; medical devices for treatment such as defibrillators, nebulizers, Ambu bags and oxygen cylinders; and basic equipment such as autoclave machines, incubators, wheelchairs, dressing tables, and pathology lab essentials to strengthen these PHCs.

HHSIF is supporting these 24 centers with 3,296 units of equipment based on the needs identified in the assessment. The entire project – from identification to installation – is being completed within a four-month timeframe.

Per government data, India has a vast public health infrastructure with 23,391 PHCs and 145,894 sub-centers providing health services to 72.2% of the country’s population living in rural areas. Initiatives such as the one launched by HHSIF and Americares seek to strengthen healthcare capacities at the most basic level. This current partnership will ensure improved healthcare deliveries at the grassroot level, especially to deal with the challenges thrown up by the ongoing pandemic.