Google announces $15M grant to strengthen India's healthcare infrastructure, workforce

Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, will support procurement and installation of the oxygen generation plants in India. The USD 15 million grants will go to GiveIndia and PATH, the two non-profits which will work together to oversee the oxygen program, providing project management support.

Google today announced new commitments to help strengthen India's healthcare infrastructure and workforce amidst the ongoing public health crisis. The search giant will provide an additional USD 15 million (approx. Rs 109 crore) to set up 80 oxygen generation plants in healthcare facilities across the country.

Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, will support procurement and installation of the oxygen generation plants in high-need and rural locations. The USD 15 million grants will go to GiveIndia and PATH, the two non-profits which will work together to oversee the oxygen program, providing project management support.

"Today, as India slowly emerges from the crisis of the past few months, we are turning our focus to helping strengthen India’s healthcare infrastructure and workforce — especially in rural areas," Google wrote in a blog post.

To strengthen the rural health systems and workforce, Google is investing in the efforts of Apollo Medskills to help upskill 20,000 frontline health workers through specialized training in COVID-19 management. To further bolster these efforts, Google.org will provide a USD500,000 (approx. Rs 3.6 Crore) grant to ARMMAN.

The India-based nonprofit will run skilling programs for 180,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and 40,000 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) in 15 Indian states. In addition, ARMMAN will also set up a call center to provide additional help and advice for ASHAs and ANMs where required.

Our hearts go out to those in India impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and we continue to look for ways to help. Today @Googleorg will provide an additional $15.5 million to build oxygen generation plants and train healthcare workers in rural India. https://t.co/OzoKFe1n1c

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 17, 2021

Back in April 2021, Google, through its philanthropic arm, announced USD 18 million (Rs 135 Crore) to expand the reach of public health information campaigns and support emergency relief work in India.