‘Arogya Rakshak’ – a program focusing on school hygiene, health clinics and community nutritional centers aims to transform over 60,000 lives in Andhra Pradesh
‘Arogya Rakshak’ – a program focusing on school hygiene, health clinics and community nutritional centers aims to transform over 60,000 lives in Andhra Pradesh
New Delhi, 15 July 2019: Reckitt Benckiser, the world’s leading consumer Health and Hygiene Company joins hands with Apollo Hospitals Group to drive India’s health narrative through #HealthierIndiaTogether. With the launch of ‘Arogya Rakshak’ Protected by Dettol, Cared by Apollo, the two pioneer brands will work towards improving India’s Health Index. The program aims to touch 60,000 lives by strengthening the school hygiene program, health clinics and supporting community nutritional centers in Andhra Pradesh by 2021.
This unique partnership will enable an infection free environment by empowering clinics and members of the medical fraternity with resources to create awareness programs to promote good health. Special focus will also be on providing a balanced nutrition with local foods to safeguard and protect the health of pregnant women, lactating mothers, children and the elderly.
Ravi Bhatnagar, Director External Affairs & Partnerships, RB Health AMESA and Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group (Left to right)
Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group speaking about this partnership, said “This unique initiative with RB will complement Total Health’s objective of providing comprehensive care from prevention to cure to the people and help them lead healthier and happier lives. Our partnership will help raise awareness about the importance of hygiene amongst the masses. In 2013, Apollo Hospitals launched Total Health initiative – a comprehensive preventive care program in the Thavanampalle Mandal, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. As part of our initiative residents of 195 villages were regularly screened, treated and given lifestyle advisory on preventive care. It has resulted in hundreds of ‘disease-free diabetics’ and a stunning decline in cancer mortality especially amongst women.”
Gaurav Jain, Senior Vice President, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia (AMESA), RB Health said “We are extremely proud of the alliance between RB and Apollo Hospitals Group that will help us build a #HealthierIndiaTogether. Both companies have been proactively working in the space to bridge the disparity in our healthcare system that primarily arises due to the variance in availability and access to quality healthcare between across different regions in India. Therefore, ‘Arogya Rakshak’ Protected by Dettol, Cared by Apollo will create an enabling environment for both the companies to show the power of working together towards building a healthier India.”
Over 2,000 employees of RB and Apollo Hospitals Group together have taken a pledge to make personal hygiene a priority for themselves and their families to help create a healthier world.
With this wholistic healthcare approach, the program will be a great value addition that will also allow adoption of global best practices through trained medical practitioners. With groundwork already kickstarted in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, some key interventions of the program are:
● 5 clinics in Aragonda have been named ‘Protected by Dettol & Cared by Apollo’ that will maintain an infection free environment through training
● A first of its kind training module launched for paramedics and doctors which will focus on providing guiding principles of maintaining infection free clinics by having SOPs for using various disinfectants and personal protection methods to ensure hygiene. This will start with 25 doctors which will be scaled up to 300 over the course of three years.
Arogya Rakshak aims to promote a healthy and happy living atmosphere through promotion and protection of health, prevention of diseases, provision of sanitation and a need-based community infrastructure development.
Photo caption: Ravi Bhatnagar, Director External Affairs & Partnerships, RB Health AMESA and Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group (Left to right)