Covid 19 has impacted the lives and livelihood of millions of underprivileged daily wagers and migrant labourers in India. To provide food and other essentials, Gland Pharma, one of the world’s fastest growing injectable-focused companies collaborated with the Akshaya Patra Foundation and reached out to underprivileged sections of the society during the pandemic in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Gland Pharma sponsored 13,000 ‘Happiness Kits’ and 8,000 Meals for Covid-19 Food Relief Effort.
In 2019, Gland Pharma partnered with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to launch a first-of-its-kind scheme to provide free breakfast to nearly 9100 children of 66 government schools in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in November 2019. Gland Pharma has adopted some government schools in the vicinity of its factories in Telangana, and is providing them with much-needed infrastructure like classrooms, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facilities, and kitchens for preparation of mid-day meals. Gland Pharma is also sponsoring quality education support for children of government schools in the vicinity of Dundigal. These schools are facing a shortage of teachers and non-teaching staff. The company’s future plans include provision of additional classrooms, playing materials for primary school children, computers for high school children, etc.
Srinivas Sadu, Managing Director and CEO, Gland Pharma, said, “The Breakfast Scheme for government school children is just a modest beginning to our social outreach program, which we intend to scale up soon and reach out to many more children. We also propose to associate with a healthcare organization to improve the children’s health by effectively addressing their nutritional needs. These two initiatives will together help them grow into healthy, well-educated adults, improve their overall quality of life, and contribute to a stronger community. Our novel initiative will aid in the Government’s mission to provide education to all. The company intends to scale up the scope to provide cooked meals in the days ahead, to include many more beneficiaries in its fold.” He further said that, “Our partnership with the Akshaya Patra Foundation helped in reaching out to vulnerable sections of the community who were severely impacted by the pandemic.”
Gland Pharma has executed the following relief work against Covid-19 for the community:
- With the help of contributions generously pooled in by its employees, Gland Pharma serves cooked food to migrant laborers and other impoverished people in slums and villages
- The company has provided 5,000 protective face masks to doctors, hospital staff, healthcare workers and police personnel who are battling COVID-19 at considerable risk to their own health and lives and almost 65,000 masks to other sections of the public including students
- Gland Pharma has also extended funding support to the Governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in their fight against COVID-19
- On the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Sri G Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister of State foror Home Affairs, distributed 50,000 ‘Happiness Kits’ to children of government primary schools in Hyderabad, with the support of Gland Pharma and the Akshaya Patra Foundation. The ‘Happiness Kit’ comprises food items that provide essential nutrients to promote a child’s healthy growth and development.
Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “Gland Pharma is an iconic healthcare brand. They have been our donor since November 2019 and helped feed vulnerable children. They are in sync with our core philosophy that learning can never be achieved when a child is in the grip of hunger. They have also partnered with us in Covid Food Relief Efforts and distribution of Happiness Kits. We are grateful to donors such as Gland Pharma who share our ethos.”
Gland Pharma has contributed Rs 10 million to a pilot ‘Community Cattle Centre’ in Telangana, which will pool in the milch cattle of individual farmers of surrounding villages. The Centre will have centralized nurturing and medical facilities for cattle. It will enable dairy farmers to supply to nearby procurement agencies and explore better marketing incomes. It will also improve sanitation in the villages, and process animal dung into manure and vermin-compost.
Gland Pharma has distributed sewing machines to about 100 rural women in Narsapur (Telangana) to empower them with sustainable livelihood options.