Ingersoll Rand Partners with Smile Foundation to Further its Social Responsibility Focus for Healthy Communities

Ingersoll Rand India, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, as part of its community relations initiative, has joined hands with Smile Foundation, a national level development organization to facilitate healthcare services for economically disadvantaged people in Naroda and neighbouring areas in Ahmedabad. Ingersoll Rand is supporting the ‘Smile on Wheels’ initiative that targets mobile healthcare vans to deliver professional healthcare services at the doorsteps of 4 lac urban slum dwellers in identified communities.

Earlier today, the project was flagged off at the manufacturing facility of the company at Naroda in Ahmedabad in the presence of senior leadership from both organizations. As part of the project, Ingersoll Rand will support fully-equipped medical vans to deliver healthcare facilities such as regular health check-ups, basic pathological tests and doctor consultation. As part of the mandate, the doctors and paramedics will also hold awareness sessions among the local population to sensitize them on health and hygiene issues. These vans will cater to 12000-15000 patients annually. 

Commenting on the initiative, Amar Kaul, Chairman & Managing Director, Ingersoll Rand India Ltd. says, “Healthcare infrastructure in India and particularly the availability of stable healthcare services to underprivileged sections needs a strong focus. We believe that only healthy societies stand a winning chance to earn education, livelihood and prosperity and participate in our country’s growth. This partnership with Smile Foundation helps us in that direction and furthers our endeavour of bringing a positive impact in the lives of communities around us.” 

“We are extremely thankful to our partners for supporting this cause. Ingersoll Rand India Limited has been supporting us for the past five years in our education projects. If health care needs of the underprivileged are catered to, we automatically off-load them of major expenses and worries, thereby helping them to allocate their resources for other critical needs like food and education,” said Santanu Mishra, Executive Trustee and Co-Founder, Smile Foundation. 

“We already have 40 fully functional medical vans catering to the health care needs of poor communities in various states of India and hope to add at least 40 more in the coming two years,” he added.      

Following the flag-off ceremony, the medical vans will proceed towards identified slum communities of Ahmedabad city, including Naroda GIDC area, Vatva GIDC area, Kalupur Railway Crossing bridge, Asarva Chakla, Chamnpura 1, Chamanpura 2, Girdhar Nagar. 

Community outreach is an important aspect of this initiative whereby medical staff in the vans will hold awareness sessions on lifestyle diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, the importance of nutrition and sanitation among the local population. Such interventions are critical to inculcate hygiene habits and lifestyles and help create a healthy society.