Hindustan Unilever to provide free oxygen concentrators in Delhi, Bengaluru

Fast-moving consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Wednesday rolled out an initiative to make oxygen concentrators available free-of-cost to patients in Delhi NCR region and Bengaluru.

The company has partnered with not-for-profit organisation KVN Foundation and Portea, India's largest home healthcare company, for Mission HO2PE.

Patients and caregivers can request for an oxygen concentrator by giving a missed call on 080680-65385 and the Mission HO2PE team will assist with the request.

Once the requirement is validated, the concentrator will be delivered to the patient's doorstep. A trained volunteer will also visit to help the patients and caregivers and assist them in managing functions and operations of the oxygen concentrator.

HUL has airlifted over 5,000 oxygen concentrators into India.

The programme will be under a 'borrow-return-use' model. Post usage, the concentrators will be sanitised, serviced and provided to the next set of people who need them, thus ensuring the concentrators reach a maximum number of people and help save as many lives as possible.

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of HUL, said the second wave of Covid has brought upon a severe humanitarian crisis.

"The entire Unilever family is rallying together to support India in this moment of crisis by helping secure oxygen concentrators which are in severe short supply," he said in a statement.

"We are hopeful that our partnership with Portea will help save the lives of people who are in dire need of medical oxygen as well as reduce the burden on medical infrastructure."

Mission HO2PE is also being rolled out in other severely affected cities like Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. HUL will also be donating concentrators to hospitals in nearly 20 locations across India.

Besides, the company is facilitating as well as covering the cost for vaccination of its outer core of around three lakh people including those who work for suppliers and distributors.

It will also provide ventilators and other medical equipment for hospitals, including in rural areas. Last year, HUL had committed Rs 100 crore to support the communities impacted by the pandemic.