Piramal Swasthya belonging to Piramal Foundation is expanding its healthcare project taken up in the agency (tribal) area of Visakhapatnam district in Araku valley.

Vishal Phanse, CEO, told presspersons here on Wednesday that the foundation set up by Piramal Enterprises Ltd with a presence in financial services, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, had been active in the picturesque Araku valley of Visakhapatnam district for the past six to seven years, providing assistance to pregnant tribal women and reducing the maternal mortality rate and the infant mortality rate.

He said that under the Asara programme "we have covered 180 tribal habitations in the inaccessible tribal belt, with a population of 40,000 during the period. Not a single death has been reported for the past two years or so."

He said now the project was being expanded to cover more areas in the region and to include nutrition and related issues.

"Our community outreach programme will now cover 2.5 lakh women in the area, and the focus will be on nutrition. The project is named Gostani. The foundation is active in 21 States in the country and the methods employed here will be replicated elsewhere, with suitable modifications," he added.

In response to a query, he said the foundation would be spending Rs 15 crore on the project in the next few years and it would be working in co-ordination with the government agencies in the area. Telemedicine was being used to provide assistance to the women in the area.

Correction

This copy has been amended on November 17, 2017 to correct the amount to be spent by Piramal Foundation on the healthcare project to Rs 15 crore, from Rs 50 crore.

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