1.The COVID-19 pandemic
Pfizer has always been committed to deploying resources in times of crisis. And COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis like never before. In the first phase of the pandemic, Pfizer deployed an estimated INR 2.7 crore to support the Central and State Government efforts through supply of critical and life-saving equipment, necessary medicines and personal protective material to healthcare workers across the country.
a. State of the art ventilators to Government of Maharashtra
Pfizer supported the Maharashtra government health department with a donation of 5 state-of-the-art ventilators be installed at the three government hospitals in Mumbai.
b. before Donation of RTPCR testing kits in Goa
Pfizer secured over 300,000 N95 protective masks through its NGO partner for frontline public healthcare workers across India. Additionally, Pfizer Healthcare India Private Ltd., through the Vizag manufacturing site, also donated 100,000 3-ply masks for public health and law enforcement personnel in Andhra Pradesh.
c. before Pfizer Inc’s biggest humanitarian relief effort
Owing to the urgent need for setting up additional COVID care and quarantine facilities, Pfizer supported one such facility at Mumbai with 75 beds and associated equipment such as oxygen concentrators, multipara monitors, crash carts, ECG machine etc.
d. before Supporting a 30-bed ICU facility in BKC, Mumbai
Pfizer provided basic equipment support including Oxygen concentrators, blood gas analyzer machines, nebulizers, ABG machines etc required for a Maharashtra Govt. quarantine facility for the slum area of Dharavi in Mumbai.
e. Food relief for unorganized labourers in Goa
Working with the Government of Goa and NGO partners, Pfizer donated 2000 grocery packets comprising of grains, sugar & other essentials to unorganized labourers in Sattari & Valpoi talukas in Goa.
f. Donation of essential drugs
Responding to a special request put out by Govt. of India, Pfizer donated 75,000 tablets of Trulimax 500 mg (Azithromycin) to HLL Lifecare for use by government in their COVID-19 relief efforts.
With the second wave, the number of reported COVID-19 positive cases rose exponentially across India and the Delhi-NCR region was one of the worst affected. As the pandemic evolved, the requirement for COVID-19 care units increased, so did the request for beds for isolation and with high dependency units. Looking at the situation, Pfizer once again stepped in, to partner with the government to battle the crisis:
a. Supporting 400 beds at the Yamuna COVID Centre in New Delhi
Pfizer partnered with the NGO Doctors For You to help create Oxygen Bed capacity at Delhi’s Yamuna COVID Care Centre. With a grant of INR 4.50 crore from Pfizer, Doctors For You has procured and deployed 400 high-quality beds with oxygen support and other medically-necessary equipment including high quality ventilators, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, laboratory equipment, consumables and services of medical and paramedical staff services to maintain the operations at the facility. 10% of these beds have been set up to specifically meet the requirements of COVID-19 pediatric patients.
The Yamuna COVID care facility primarily caters to mild and moderate cases, more broadly meeting the needs of lower income patients, migrant laborers, pediatric patients and others. Any severe cases that need ICU support get referred to Government tertiary care hospitals with ICU facilities. Partly funded by the Delhi Government, the facility is being run jointly by the Delhi Government and NGO Doctors For You.
b. Donation of RTPCR testing kits in Goa
With increased number of COVID-19 cases in Goa, there was an increased need of testing at the right time. Pfizer donated 300 high-quality RTPCR kits to an NGO partner to be used for testing communities in Verna Industrial Area in Goa.
c. Pfizer Inc’s biggest humanitarian relief effort
Pfizer Inc mobilized one of its biggest humanitarian relief efforts to any country, historically by donating medicines worth $70 million (INR 510 crore) that were identified as part of India’s COVID treatment protocol. This included steroid medications to reduce inflammation, anticoagulants to help prevent blood clotting and antibiotics that treat secondary bacterial infections.
d. Supporting a 30-bed ICU facility in BKC, Mumbai
Pfizer Foundation has also provided a fund of $500,000 (approximately INR 3.67 crore) to Americares India Foundation to support a 30-Bed ICU facility at the BKC Jumbo COVID Centre, in Mumbai, by mobilising critical equipment needed to make the ICU operational. These include more than 350 units of 40 different types of high value equipment such as ventilators, CNS monitors, patient monitors, syringe pumps and much more.