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PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, on Monday said it has partnered with not-for-profit organisation, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) to launch a community COVID-19 vaccination drive and set up COVID care centres.

Under the partnership, over one lakh vaccines doses will be provided to communities, to be administered through the local healthcare system, while five COVID-19 care centres will be set up for three months that will be equipped with beds and medical facilities, including oxygen cylinders, PepsiCo India said in a statement.

Moreover, over 100 oxygen concentrators will be provided to the central government for distribution to various government hospitals across states, it added.

“The entire community relief programme will be rolled out across the country with a special focus on five states — Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana,” the foundation said.

As part of the initiative, extensive awareness drives will also be organised across various states to promote vaccination amongst the population at large. These sessions will be conducted in partnership with NGOs, including SEEDS along with the local government authorities.

“India is embattling the second wave of the pandemic and we all are facing a challenging situation. In these difficult times, it becomes even more important for businesses to come together and partner with centre and state governments, civil society, NGOs, and healthcare institutions to support communities in need,” PepsiCo India President Ahmed ElSheikh said

He further said, “vaccination is one way which can help us combat COVID-19 and we are thankful to have partners like SEEDS to front-end the community vaccination drives and set up COVID care centres.”

SEEDS Co-founder Manu Gupta said there is a need to unite and look at ways to offer all the possible support to the ongoing efforts as India navigates through the second wave of COVID-19.

Stating that access to medical infrastructure in the affected marginalised communities is limited and makes survival rates much lower, Gupta said, “the need of the hour, therefore, is to step up a robust vaccination drive, create COVID care centres and help facilitate the supply of critical needs such as oxygen.”

PepsiCo Foundation said in the second phase of its initiative to combat the pandemic, it will roll out partnerships with other NGOs to support the frontline COVID-19 warriors with PPE kits, N95 and surgical 3-ply masks, pulse oximeters and sanitisers among others.

PepsiCo India said it has also committed to cover the cost of vaccination for its employees and their spouses. As part of the same initiative, vaccinations drives are being organised in partnership with leading healthcare providers.