New Delhi, Jun 18 (IANS): Aster DM Healthcare has partnered with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to administer the Sputnik V Vaccine as part of a limited pilot soft launch.
To help bolster the vaccine implementation drive by the Government of India, Aster DM Healthcare will initially inoculate beneficiaries in Kochi (Kerala) and Kolhapur (Maharashtra) through Aster Medcity, Kochi and Aster Aadhar, Kolhapur hospitals.
At Aster, over a hundred staff have been trained at the 14 hospitals spread across the country. Beneficiary protocols have been established as per Standard Operating Procedures recommended by the Government which includes registration, waiting area allocation along with patient education & awareness displays and post-vaccination observation, Aster said in a statement.
Trained medical staff along with emergency care support, will be stationed to administer appropriate care in case of an adverse event, the statement added.
Dr. Reddy's has facilitated the necessary cold storage infrastructure for vaccine storage at the hospitals.
Speaking about the association, Harish Pillai, CEO - Aster India, Aster DM Healthcare, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with Dr. Reddy's Labs to administer the Sputnik V Vaccine, through its pilot program and are certain that it will further accelerate the overall vaccination drive. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Dr. Reddy's across our network of hospitals to further strengthen our efforts in providing easy access and vaccinating the community".
Commenting on the alliance, M.V. Ramana, CEO - Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), Dr. Reddy's, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with Aster DM Healthcare in Kochi and Kolhapur as we scale up our soft pilot launch of the Sputnik V vaccine in India to more cities ahead of its commercial launch. In the upcoming months, we hope to inoculate as many Indians as possible."
Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest integrated healthcare service providers operating in GCC and an emerging healthcare player in India.