Posted by Bentonville, USA – Bengaluru, India: Walmart said it is mobilizing its global resources to further expand support for COVID-19 relief efforts in India.
Walmart, the Walmart Foundation, Flipkart and PhonePe, along with Walmart’s global technology and sourcing hubs, are collaborating to counter oxygen shortages, support the national vaccination drive and donate to organisations making a difference in communities nationwide.
“Walmart is a global family. We feel the impact of this devastating surge on our associates, families and friends across India, and it’s important that we come together to support however we can,” said Doug McMillon, President and CEO – Walmart Inc.
“We feel called to bring our resources to bear in times of crisis, and this moment is no different. We are working hard to combine Walmart’s global capabilities and Flipkart’s distribution network to ensure vital oxygen and supplies are made available to those who need them most. Our hearts are with everyone in India,” added McMillion.
Walmart businesses worldwide are working together to procure vital oxygen concentrators and other equipment to help India meet its urgent need for medical-grade oxygen. The retail giant will donate up to 20 oxygen-generating plants and 20 cryogenic containers for oxygen storage and transportation.
In addition, it will donate over 3,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders for delivering oxygen therapy to patients at home or in the hospital. These are being sourced globally and will be donated to hospitals and NGOs in India for distribution.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have also committed to funding an additional 2,500 oxygen concentrators as part of the U.S.-India Business Council and U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s joint relief effort.
The Walmart Foundation is donating Rs 148.2 million ($2 million) to support various NGOs in India. Walmart Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, a donor-advised fund will allocate about Rs 74.1 million ($1 million) fund, to recommend support for Doctors for You to operate isolation centres and temporary hospitals, as well as provide personal protective equipment for frontline medical workers.
In addition, it will allocate Rs 74.1 million ($1 million) to GIVE Foundation Inc to support GiveIndia’s COVID response fund. The funds will help to support physical infrastructure and equipment for the medical sector in India, prioritizing the most impacted and vulnerable communities.
Walmart, Flipkart and PhonePe continue to step up efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccination, including setting up on-site vaccination clinics, at no cost, for associates and their households, as well as Flipkart and PhonePe’s full-time contractors and delivery workers – more than 200,000 people. Associates will continue to receive expanded sick leave if they become ill or must self-isolate, time off to get the vaccine or tested and expanded compassionate care leave to care for ill family members.
The Walmart owned Indian e-commerce company Flipkart is also partnering with GiveIndia to raise funds to provide critical medical supplies such as oxygen, PPE kits, hand sanitisers and other essentials at COVID-19 centres, charitable hospitals and for healthcare workers in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
Flipkart customers can now use their SuperCoins (loyalty points) to donate directly toward ambulance services and oxygen cylinder refills that GiveIndia will mobilize to help those in critical need.
“Through the pandemic, we have endeavoured to meet the needs of our customers while supporting our business partners through a safe supply chain and reliable platform,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO – Flipkart
“We and our colleagues at PhonePe are committed to doing our bit to help people in this challenging time, leveraging our logistics capabilities and mobilizing resources towards the most critical needs of patients and healthcare professionals,” added Krishnamurthy.
Previously, Walmart, Flipkart Group and the Walmart Foundation have provided Rs 460 million ($6.2 million) in financial and in-kind support in India, including over 1 million PPE and CPE gowns, 600,000 N95 masks and 88 ventilators, among other contributions.
Walmart Canada will also support relief efforts through the Canadian Red Cross India COVID-19 Response Appeal, funding ambulance and transport services for patients, quarantine isolation centers and other services.