Keeping in mind the need for extensive COVID-19 testing, Ericsson India Global Services Pvt Ltd (Ericsson) has joined hands with Smile Foundation to support government initiatives to collect Covid test samples for testing at designated Government labs in Chennai and Pune. This effort will speed up COVID-19 testing in these cities. Ericsson has been supporting Smile on Wheels, mobile medical units of Smile Foundation, in four locations: Noida, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Gurugram and Ericsson E-Health Clinics in Pune and Chennai.

Speaking at a virtual roundtable organised on February 12 by Smile Foundation, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) said, “Primary healthcare is the first contact point for any beneficiary. We need to strengthen it as much as possible as this will reduce the burden on tertiary health care which in turn will help improve the quality of healthcare overall.”

Amitabh Ray, MD, Ericsson India Global Services said, “Our partnership with Smile Foundation has evolved to include a fresh focus on COVID-19, both in terms of healthcare services to underserved communities as well as skill-building. We want to complement and strengthen the government’s healthcare initiatives against the pandemic in terms of emergency response as well as skill-building of the youth living in slum clusters.”

Santanu Mishra, Co-founder and Trustee, Smile Foundation, said, “It is our privilege to join hands with Ericsson in this unique initiative for enhancing the reach of government in collecting samples of COVID-19 patients and complementing the efforts of the government in providing primary healthcare services and Skill-India Mission.”