Garhwa, 7 th of July 2023: Shri Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, Honourable Minister for Drinking Water &
Sanitation, Government of Jharkhand flagged off Smile on Wheels mobile medical unit for the
people of Garhwa district from the Sadar Hospital premises. The project is being supported by MSD
Pharmaceuticals and implemented by Smile Foundation. Dr. Anil Kumar, Civil Surgeon cum Chief
Medical Officer, and Shri Praveen Kumar Singh, District Programme Manager also graced the
occasion.
“This is a great initiative for Garhwa district as this will complement the government’s efforts in
serving the rural population. I thank MSD Pharmaceuticals, especially Neelima Dwivedi ji, for
choosing Jharkhand for its CSR initiative. I am sure that Smile Foundation will bring its best of
expertise as the implementing partner of this Smile on Wheels project,” said Hon’ble Minister, Shri
Mithilesh Kumar Thakur.

About the Project in Jharkhand

MSD Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd and Smile Foundation has been working in the state of Jharkhand in 5
districts i.e. Garhwa, Chatra, Dumka, Sahibganj and West Singbhum to reach approximately 2,25,000
beneficiaries through Mobile Medical Units called Smile on Wheels.
Smile on Wheels programme focuses on providing wide range of health services like
● OPD Services will provide curative health care services to the community, which include health
check-ups, Point of Care tests, medicines and counselling.
● Referral Services: The project will act as a bridge between the community and the government.
Linkages will be established with the Primary Health Care Centers and Government Hospitals
● To ensure safe motherhood, the project will provide Ante-Natal Care and Post-Natal Care Services
on the ground
● Awareness Programme: Information Education and Communication (IEC/BCC) activities will
promote health seeking behaviour and preventive actions in the community
● Networking & Liasioning: will be done with Government and Community stakeholders to ensure
smooth operations and create single window to make the health services available

About the Project in Garwha

Project Reach – 45,000 rural beneficiaries
Team Composition – The team comprises of Community Health Officer, Doctor, Nurse, Community
Mobilizer and Driver.
Equipment and Technology: The Smile on Wheels mobile medical unit is equipped with Oxygen
Cylinder, Nebulizer, Blood Pressure Regulator, Thermal Scanner, Oximeter, Foetal Doppler, Weighing

Machine, Point of Care Test Kits (covering Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, UPT etc.), GPS tracker and
Digital Patient Database Management System.

About MSD Pharmaceuticals

For 130 years, MSD has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for
many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve
lives. MSD is a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J.,
U.S.A. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing
access to health care through far-reaching policies, programmes, and partnerships. Today,
MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten
people and animals — including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and
emerging animal diseases — as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive
biopharmaceutical company in the world.

About Smile Foundation

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization directly benefiting over 1.5 million
children and families every year through more than 400 welfare projects on education,
healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment spread across 2,000 villages and slums in
25 states.

Media Contact:

Sandip Nayak | 8800744001 | www.smilefoundationindia.org