GSK_ Annual_Report_2021-22

37 Oxygen concentrators were made available on first-come, first-served basis for our employees and their dependents. • Accommodation to facilitate self-isolation: We partnered with GIG hospitality, a hotel service provider, to offer rooms at very reasonable rates, in more than 130 mid-size hotels, across 29 cities for those seeking self-isolation on a self-pay model. • Home isolation packages: In association with PORTEA Medical, GSK devised three home isolation programmes which could be used by asymptomatic to mild or moderate symptomatic Covid positive patients. These timely initiatives helped to alleviate the difficulties that many families faced during those difficult months. E nvironment and Human Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS) The GSK head office in Mumbai was conferred the ‘Safe Place to Work’ recognition by Equinox Labs, a food, water and air testing lab. Your Company also introduced 12 ‘Life Saving Rules’ with an aim to ensure all employees get home safely. Nine of these rules are for job-specific roles while three of them are applicable to personnel across departments. Your Company is subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, and we have collected 1,583.31 MT of post-consumption plastic garbage from across India until January 2022. The garbage was subsequently properly disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. By the end of March 2022, we had collected 1,652.75 MT of total plastic garbage. Our Nashik manufacturing facility has been focused on Single Use Plastic Reduction (SUPR) and has eliminated 268 kgs in 2021. The Nashik site also has programmes in place to reduce water consumption, CO 2 emissions, and hazardous waste. 9. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) Giving back to society is integral to how your Company operates. With continued efforts in CSR activities, we have contributed significantly to society. The focus of our CSR efforts, during the year, was on impacting life-changing and lasting differences in human health by addressing the healthcare burdens of accessibility, affordability and awareness. Education The GSK Scholars programme enables meritorious, but financially disadvantaged students to study Medicine from government colleges. Under this scholarship, a sum of upto ` 1,00,000 is granted over a four- and a half year period to cover the academic expenses incurred for the MBBS programme. The programme aims to make STEM education accessible within the country as it is one of the most expensive educational streams and every year, countless eligible students cannot pursue this line of education due to shortage of funds. 117 32 million 10,000+ 5,200+ students benefitted across 15 states tablets contributed for elimination of LF children supported through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives employee volunteering hours P artnering India to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) In India, more than 650 million people are at risk across 272 districts. We have been donating albendazole tablets, used during mass drug administration (MDA) to the World Health Organization (WHO) since the inception of the programme in 2000. We have donated nearly 3 billion albendazole tablets to WHO for distribution in affected areas and have pledged to donate albendazole for as long as needed to help eliminate LF as a public health issue from the country. During FY 2021-22, 32 million tablets were contributed for elimination of LF. We partnered with Project Concern International (PCI) and have been working to mobilise lymphedema and hydrocele patients and connect them with the services in endemic districts of Unnao, Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. The project assists the state government in updating the line listing of patients—both hydrocele and lymphedema (based on the symptoms). ‘Trust in Science’ initiative The life sciences industry faces acute shortage of well-trained and experienced biostatisticians and bio-informatics professionals. Under our ‘Trust in Science’ (TiS) initiative, your Company partnered with the Regional Centre of Biotechnology (RCB), an academic institution established by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to support 12 PhD students over almost seven years, as they pursue their research. Through this, we hope to promote scientific and technological cooperation that has mainstream impact. Employee volunteering In 2021, we contributed over 5,200 volunteering hours towards varied social causes. Volunteering is