Smile Foundation “Health Cannot Wait” campaign set to strengthen existing public health infrastructure

In an effort to help India navigate through the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, Smile Foundation through its “Health Cannot Wait” campaign has come forward to strengthen the existing public health infrastructure.

Santanu Mishra, Co-founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation, said the pandemic has put to test the entire healthcare infrastructure. “Our main motive is to support the country, help the underprivileged get timely access to healthcare and spread awareness to tackle vaccine hesitancy in remote areas,” Mishra said. “It is important to understand the reality and educate everyone about the virus. Young people are much more affected in the second wave.”

The second wave of infections has shaken the country and seems to be even more devastating than the first. Fighting the new, more infectious variant of the COVID-19, frontline health workers are working round the clock even as hospitals run out of beds and oxygen supply, and thousand succumb to preventable deaths.

The Health Cannot Wait campaign solicits long-term investment through donations to strengthen COVID care centers with critical supplies like oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and oximeters. It entails the setting up of oxygen banks for critical patient support among vulnerable communities, mobilization of PPE Kits, N-95 Masks and sanitizers for frontline health workers, distribution of Hygiene Kits (including masks, soaps, sanitizers, oximeters) to the vulnerable population, tele-counselling to dispel vaccine hesitancy, spread awareness on COVID appropriate behavior and the provision of primary healthcare services to reduce the load on existing health infrastructure.

Smile Foundation has so far provided 27.7 million meals to more than 200,000 families in 23 states of India. It aims to provide three square meals to more than 250,000 families and is working to provide 50,000 home isolation kits to COVID patients. An important part of the campaign is the provision of free tele-consultation to the underprivileged through a toll-free number for tele-calling and outreach through bulk SMS service. The tele-consultation will emphasize the personal and community benefits of vaccination. Its objective is to address questions of people who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Smile Foundation has sensitized more than 100,000 people through tele-counselling and aims to reach out to 500,000 people.

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It is also providing doorstep healthcare services to around one million people from 2,200 marginalized communities in 14 states; and aims to benefit two million people with mobile hospital and telemedicine projects in FY21-22.