Health has always been one of the core focus areas for CSR. Since 2019, Ncell has also been closely working with the Ministry of Health and Population as a health awareness partner of the government on areas including immunization, COVID response, and other epidemic and non-epidemic diseases since 2019. Below key highlights of CSR activities under this vertical.

a. COVID Response Initiatives
As a responsible corporate citizen, Ncell always remains at the forefront for extending its support at the time of need to the government and public. In line with this, we have extended numerous supports to people and the government as a part of our CSR initiatives to fight against the COVID.

1. Rs. 100 million (10 Crore) contribution to the Government for Coronavirus Infection Prevention, Control, and Treatment
   On 24th March 2020, we contributed Rs. 100 Million (10 Crore) to the Government-established COVID-19 Infection Prevention, Control, and Treatment Fund to support the government for the preparedness to procure logistics such as personal protective gear, health equipment, PCR testing kits, and other materials required in the testing, quarantining and treatment of Covid-19 patients.
2. Mass Awareness on COVID
   As an exclusive health awareness partner of the government and a responsible corporate citizen, we proactively discussed with the government and started broadcasting COVID Awareness messages among our subscribers leveraging on our platform.
   1. 45 million COVID Awareness SMS sent
   2. Over 20 million OBD calls disseminating the COVID Awareness messages among our subscribers
   3. Continuously updating our call tone service with the most relevant COVID information to ensure the safety and wellbeing of general people
   4. Change in network name as Staysafe@Ncell effective from the first week of nationwide lockdown implemented
3. COVID Awareness PSA Campaign driving behavioral changes
   We in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), the National Health Education Information Communication Centre (NHEICC), and UNICEF developed COVID Awareness Public Service Announcement (PSA), targeting to endorse three key behavioral changes among the general public as a prevention against the spread of COVID. These PSA’s focuses on three key messages with the theme (SMS) i.e. maintaining two-meter distancing (S), Proper use of Mask (M), and frequent hand sanitization (S). These awareness messages are being broadcasted via multiple channels of communications including radio, television, online, print among others to ensure the message reaches continuously all the segments of people across the country.
4. Ncell Free Hotline Service
   From the first week of lockdown, we brought into operation our own ‘Hotline’ to enable our subscribers to seek free teleconsultation with doctors for their concerns regarding COVID and general health and wellbeing in general. For this, we have collaborated with Med Pro International that supported in addressing every call from customers and addressing their non-prescription-based health concerns.
5. Ncell Call To Doctor Service (Video Call Service)
   We in collaboration with HamroPatro App launched a new feature in the App to allow all the public to seek teleconsultation with doctors via video calls. For this service, Smart Ideas, our implementing partner collaborated with National Medical Association and onboarded more than 50 doctors for 24*7 connectivity.
6. Free Access to Government Hotlines
   As a part of our joint effort to support the government for fighting against COVID, we made access to two of the government hotlines free 1115 and 1133.
7. Support in identifying COVID infected via Survey
   We in collaboration with the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) launched a self-assessment survey through USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) medium to support the Government of Nepal in identifying COVID, infected people.
   
   In this survey, respondents or Ncell customers were required to answer five questions related to coronavirus by dialing USSD code *17100#. Upon answering the questions, respondents would immediately receive a message with a piece of suitable health advice followed by government-defined helpline numbers and Ncell hotline number: 9801575005 in which they can consult with doctors for free of charge. If any of them fall under the suspected categories, they were instantly recommended to seek immediate health consultation. The details of the suspected customers were shared with the CCMC of the government. All respondents are pre-informed about the objective of the survey is to support the government initiative to contain the global pandemic.
8. Rapid Assessment Survey
   Amidst the pandemic, we collaborated with the Ministry of Women and Senor Citizen and UNWOMEN for conducting a Rapid Assessment on how has COVID affected the lives of people in Nepal differently. The same survey was carried in 8 different countries by UNWOMEN in collaboration with the local authority. Leveraging on our platform we supported the ministry and UNWOMEN to run a survey among our subscribers. The survey was well responded to by all. We received responses from more than 8000 respondents that helped the government and rescue agencies to get an insight into the impact of COVID.
9. Radio Outreach Programme
   Amidst this pandemic, most of the schools adapted to the new normal and shifted themselves to digital modality for running in normal classes via teams and zoom application.
   
   The greater and long-term impact of COVID is on the students of public schools of remote Nepal which had no access to proper internet and gadgets to support online learning. Under this pretext, we collaborated with the Rato Bangla Foundation and ACORAB (Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) for running a radio programme to ensure engagement of primary level children focusing primarily on rural Nepal.
   
   As the research has shown that Radio is a highly reachable and credible source of information for people in remote Nepal, we have started a radio program for enhancing learning by doing skills among primary level students. This ensures, their continued learning at home.
10. Ncell support to government hospitals with oxygen concentrators
    We have supported the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) with 160 units of portable oxygen concentrators that includes 150 units of 10 LMP high flow oxygen and 10 units of 5LMP oxygen concentrators as a part of our continued COVID-19 response support to the government under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). On 21 May, 2021, Andy Chong, CEO of Ncell handed first batch of oxygen concentrators (10 units) to Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, Chief Specialist at the MoHP. The second batch of 150 units concentrators was handed over to Chief Specialist of MoHP Dr. Roshan Pokhrel on 18 June, 2021. As per MoHP, these concentrators will be delivered to remote health institutions such as health institutions, health post, isolation centres where it is not feasible to ensure supply of oxygen cylinders. All concentrators that are handed over to health institutions will be re-collected by district level Oxygen Concentrator Banks and provided again to other needy health institutions.
11. Ncell COVID-19 Hotline service
    If you have any query regarding coronavirus disease, call Ncell COVID-19 Hotline Service 9805554500 – open 24X7. Under this CSR initiative of Ncell in collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital, people staying in home isolation across the country also get daily free teleconsultation on their health issues.

b. Telemedicine and Health Informatics Centre
We have collaborated with the Dhulikhel Hospital (DH) under our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Telemedicine and Health Informatics Programme to serve remote and underserved communities through quality health care services, using technology and data-driven health care methods.

Started in August 2019, Ncell has been supporting the hospital with telemedicine equipment, local supplies, and services needed for establishing connectivity infrastructure at the local community health centres for the next two years. DH under this collaboration will provide support in allocating space & utilities, qualified Medical Doctors & Consultants and carrying out periodic training sessions, monitoring the project to run in optimum quality.

Under this collaboration, Ncell, DH Telemedicine, and Healthcare Informatics Centre have been established at Dhulikhel Hospital, which will supervise activities and innovation in telemedicine and health informatics. The project implementation will mainly focus on two areas—Telemedicine and Personalized Health Programme (PHP). Under the telemedicine component, the project will deliver quality healthcare services from eight health centres operating under Dhulikhel Hospital by using connectivity and a modern telemedicine kit. This service will help directly connect the rural health centres with health professionals/experts in Dhulikhel Hospitals for the next two years.

For the project implementation, four community health centres of the hospital: Manekharka (Sindhupalchowk), Dorpu (Solukhumbu), Thangsin (Nuwakot), and Bolde of Kavrepalanchowk have been selected that have more than 15,000 households. Locals of the project areas will get treatments on communicable, non-communicable chronic diseases.

Under the PHP, a preventive programme, locals from catchment areas of these community health centres will get personalized health services wherein health workers will conduct regular monitoring of the health of local people for timely intervention at the local level. This component intends to develop a data-driven behavior change for the betterment of the health of local people, aiming to scale up PHP in communities beyond the catchment areas.

c. Health Awareness Initiatives
Since October 2019, Ncell has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and Population for supporting the government in raising health awareness among the general public for epidemic/non-epidemic including immunization. National Health Education Information Communication Centre (NHEICC) which is the focal point under the MoHP for planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluation of health promotion and communication programs of all health programs and services in an integrated manner, is the implementing partner for this project.

1. Measles-Rubella Campaign- 2020
   Under the same collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, we also supported the government on mass immunization campaigns. Lately, Nepal has been witnessing increasing cases of Measles and Rubella cases year on year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has targeted to eliminate Measles-Rubella (MR) cases by 2023 globally. In line with this target, the Ministry of Health and the population launched a mass immunization campaign targeting to vaccinate over 2.5 million children across the country between the age group 9 months to 5 years.
   
   Ncell as an awareness partner worked closely with the immunization wing under the Ministry of Health and population from the time of campaign design to campaign execution. The two-month-long campaign kicked off from mid-February 2020 in two-phase-- the first phase of the immunization campaign covered Provinces 1, 2, and 5, and the second phase covered Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces.
   
   Through multimedia campaigns, we emphasized the need for MR vaccine to children between the age of 9 months to 5 years age. We broadcasted the MR vaccine-related message via print, television, radio, miking to disseminate the vaccine-related message among the larger public. Leveraging on our platform, we also broadcasted SMS and OBD calls to share vaccine-related information with people.
   
   The campaign was a huge success witnessing 101% vaccination results and we as an awareness partner hold a significant role in this result. With the huge success of the MR campaign, currently, we are also working on Routine Immunisation (RI) campaign endorsing the message “Vaccine as the right of every child”.
2. Dengue Awareness- October 2019
   Nepal faced an unprecedented outbreak of the dengue virus in 2019. As per the government records, at least 9,000 people — from 65 of Nepal’s 77 districts — were diagnosed positive with dengue with few incidents of casualties.
   Under our CSR initiatives, we supported raising awareness among the general public across the country regarding fast-spreading mosquito-borne disease—Dengue via a multi-media campaign. The content for the dengue awareness was endorsed by the government with expertise from UNICEF and WHO, and Ncell as an awareness partner, supported in the dissemination of dengue awareness-related messaging through radio and television.

d. Support to set up advanced ICUs in Manmohan Heart Center
To enhance service capabilities of the leading heart treatment center of the country, enabling it to conduct advanced surgeries and serve tens of thousands of people by the establishment of world-class ICU supporting advanced heart treatment, Ncell in 2014 supported Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular Transplant Center with worth NPR 15 million. Under the support, a world-class Intensive Care Unit comprising 11 ICU has been set up at the Center, to cater to the advanced medical needs of the heart patients at affordable rates and also has a provision of providing free services for the poor and vulnerable groups.

e. Support to construct Day Care Kidney and Dialysis Center
As health problems related to kidney increased alarmingly, Ncell in 2014 had provided financial support worth NPR 15 million to the leading health institution of the country TU Teaching Hospital to enable the people to access critical renal health care services within the country. The Kidney Day Care and Dialysis Centre has a capacity to accommodate 16 dialysis machines, and it is equipped with RO water treatment facilities.