Visakhapatnam: Piramal Swasthya undertaken by Piramal Foundation is set to expand its healthcare project from Araku Valley (tribal areas) of Vizag Agency to other parts in Vizag Agency. Talking to newsmen in Vizag city on Wednesday, CEO of the foundation Vishal Phanse said the foundation was set up by Piramal Enterprises Ltd with a presence in financial services, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. The scheme had been active in many remote areas in Araku Valley for the past six years providing assistance to pregnant tribal women and helping to bring down the maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate.
Mr Phanse pointed out that under the ASARA Project, they have covered 181 tribal habitations from the inaccessible tribal belt covering a population of about 40,000 during the period with not a single death being reported and improved the percentage of institutional deliveries from 18 per cent to 68 per cent in the past two years. The ASARA project will now be expanded to cover more areas in Vizag Agency including Chintapalle, Paderu and other mandals. It will also cover nutrition and related issues, he added. “Our outreach progr-amme will now cover 2.5 lakh women in the area, and the focus will be on nutrition,” he added. The foundation would be spending around Rs 50 crore on the project over the next few years in 21 states, Mr Phanse added.
