JOIN USCoronavirus: HUL donates over 74,000 RT-PCR testing kits
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Tuesday said it has donated 74,328 RT-PCR COVID-19 testing kits worth Rs 13 crore to help ramp up testing of patients in the country.
While Maharashtra has received about 28,800 RT-PCR testing kits, Indian Council of Medical Research has got 20,160 kits. Metropolis Labs has received 8,088 kits and Apollo Hospitals has got 17,280 kits, the company said in a statement.
HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said, "Sufficient supply of testing kits and other medical equipment will help frontline warriors competently tackle the COVID-19 virus."
"This will not only allow for free testing in critical regions, but also accelerate the process of testing asymptomatic patients, supplementing government efforts to flatten the curve and arrest the spread of the pandemic in the country," he added.
The RT-PCR testing kits consist of nucleic acid diagnostic kit, sample release reagent, throat swab, PCR tube and sample storage reagent, the company said.
These have been approved by international certification bodies such as CE IVD, USFDA and EU CE, and are also listed in FIND, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaboration Centre, it added.
HUL said its contribution comes on the back of 29 ventilators worth Rs 3 crore that it is donating to government hospitals in Maharashtra.
Last month, HUL also donated 5,000 sets of PPEs, 20,000 N95 masks, 2,00,000 gloves, 112 pulse oximeter and 28 oxygen concentrators worth Rs 2 crore to the Maharashtra Public Health Department.
Beside states like Maharashtra and New Delhi, which have a high COVID-19 patient count, HUL is also extending product donation and other support across India around its manufacturing locations and offices in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
HUL had recently committed Rs 100 crore towards helping India fight the coronavirus pandemic, undertaking various initiatives to ensure safety of people and communities, product sourcing, and business continuity.