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India Health Alliance (IHA)

SBI Foundation launched the India Health Alliance (IHA), a new flagship programme on healthcare, which will bolster and build on the current public healthcare system in India. The new flagship programme will also aim to aid the Government as it collectively fights to aid those who have been infected and contain the spread of coronavirus further.

COVID-19 Relief Initiatives

Research & Development Projects to Combat Coronavirus

As part of our intervention to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in India, we are supporting research and development (R&D) projects with an aim to prevent, diagnose, contain and treat the disease by designing and manufacturing ventilators, and other low-cost health equipment with IITs/incubators, start-ups and the healthcare industry. In this connection, SBI Foundation has funded two R&D projects through Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Project Praana: Electro-Mechanical Ventilator Design

Project Praana aims to use parts available in India to build an electro mechanical ventilator that can be rapidly scaled up. Our partner has been able to design a laboratory-grade prototype of an electro- mechanical ventilator based on its novel ventilator design. Verbal agreement has been reached with industry partners for development of a field-ready product and legal paperwork is in the final stage.

Mobile Molecular Diagnostics And Testing Lab

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) faculty have developed an end-to-end solution for COVID-19 testing- the Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting (MITR) Labs. This is India’s first and only ICMR approved BSL-2+ compliant mobile diagnostic lab wherein sample collection, processing and test using RT-PCR can be done on site and the results can be uploaded to ICMR portal. These labs have been designed and developed by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore along with a faculty start-up ShanMukha Innovations Pvt. Ltd. These mobile labs enable significant reduction in turnaround times from 2-10 days to 4-12 hours for the confirmatory test of COVID-19 using RT PCR. the mobile molecular diagnostics and testing lab has received approval from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) nodal body for lab approval in Bangalore viz. NIMHANS.

SBI Foundation contributed Rs. 65 Lakhs to support the design and development of the internal infrastructure of 2 mobile vans as per the approved design for the mobile diagnostic labs. Mobile Molecular Diagnostics and Testing Lab was handed over to Government of Karnataka. The Medical Education Minister Dr. K Sudhakar- Govt. of Karnataka was present for the occasion along with the General Manager SBI Bank, Bangalore- Mr. Shantanu Pendsey.

Handing over ceremony	BSL-2 cabinet inside sample processing van with glove mechanism for additional safety during sample handling

1.Procuring PPE Kits for Healthcare Professionals in Government Hospitals

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for use by healthcare professionals. A PPE kit consists of goggles, N-95 particle-filtering masks and other masks, complete head covering, hazmat-style suits/ PVC-coated gowns, gloves, shoe covers, etc. to healthcare professionals. Public sector company HLL Lifecare Ltd., the government's sole procurement agency, is struggling to match the supply-demand gap in wake of the rising demand.

• Therefore, SBI Circles across the country have been allocated budgets to procure PPE kits for government hospitals and the police force as per the current number of active cases of COVID-19 and intensity of impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the specific region.
• 60,860 PPE Kits have been distributed by both SBI Circles and SBI Foundation.

Mr. Rajendra Kumar Nehra (Dy. General Manager - SBI, Zone-1, Pune) handing over 1,204 PPE kits to Mr. Murlidhar Mohol (Hon'ble Mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation)

2. Food Relief Initiatives

Due to the state enforced lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in India, migrants, domestic help workers and daily wage earners in the informal work sector in India have been left to battle financial instability and compromised health within an endless cycle of poverty and disease.

• SBI Circles have been allocated with a budget to support food relief initiatives. Through the food relief initiatives, we are providing food packets or freshly cooked meals to vulnerable women, migrant workers, daily wage earners, individuals and families who are presently stranded at present due to the ongoing nation-wide lockdown.
• 6,47,132 freshly cooked meals and dry ration kits have been distributed by both SBI Circles and SBI Foundation.
• So far, SBI Foundation has partnered with on-ground implementation partners like CORO India, Akshaya Patra Foundation, IFB Bhavnagar Branch, Annamrita Foundation (formerly ISKCON Food Relief Foundation), Zomato Feeding India, Project Mumbai, Barefoot College, Grameen Sneh Foundation, etc.

Innovative Finance

1.Innovative Finance: $100 Million Blended Finance Facility with National Health Authority (NHA), USAID and SBI

SBI Foundation is collaborating with the National Health Authority (NHA), USAID and SBI in developing a Blended Financing Facility (BFF) to strengthen the network of public and private hospitals under the Prime Minister’s national healthcare assurance scheme (Ayushman Bharat PMJAY) which is managed by NHA.

Outcomes Expected from the BFF

In line with the above objectives and scope, the BFF will support a range of activities to respond to COVID-19 and other emerging healthcare challenges. The set of illustrative achievements expected through BFF include:

• Provide access to capital to manufacturers and suppliers of healthcare products and devices, social enterprises and private health facilities.
• Increased screening and diagnosis of individuals for COVID-19.
• Enhanced management of COVID-19 patients.
• Strengthen capacities of public and private health facilities and diagnostic centres for COVID-19 testing, care and management support.
• Support and scale innovations within India’s public and private healthcare network.
• Support community level actions for prevention, testing, and management

Health Systems Strengthening

1.Project ECHO

SBI Foundation has partnered with ECHO India for training and mentoring healthcare providers across various states in India. ECHO India uses its tele-mentoring platform for knowledge dissemination of best practices for addressing the coronavirus outbreak by adapting the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model and capacity building of the healthcare providers. The goal of this initiative is to contain the pandemic through providing better services to vulnerable and high-risk communities/population.

• Since 1st April, 2020, 544 COVID-19 specific sessions have been conducted by ECHO India and that has thereby ensured knowledge emancipation of 2,52,220 healthcare professionals.
• 7 hubs have established with State National Health Missions like NHM Assam, NHM Gujarat, NHM Maharashtra (with PHI Nagpur), NHM Punjab, NHM Rajasthan, NHM Tamil Nadu and NHM Uttar Pradesh (with SGPGIMS).
• Additionally, ECHO India is in discussions with NHM Haryana, NHM Uttarakhand and NHM Karnataka to identify hubs and initiate COVID-19 related programs.

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