CSR-backed mobile and boat clinics extend healthcare services across 12 districts and 12 island regions in Assam.
Guwahati: At a time when healthcare equity remains a pressing policy challenge in Assam, particularly in its hard-to-reach riverine zones, MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd has entered the state’s fragmented healthcare landscape through a CSR-backed partnership with Smile Foundation. With India’s corporate sector under increasing scrutiny to deliver measurable social impact under mandated CSR spends, this initiative combines business accountability with rural health delivery—via two mobile medical units (MMUs) and one boat clinic now operational across 12 districts and 12 island clusters in Assam, including Darrang, Barpeta, and South Salmara.
The project, targeting over 25,000 beneficiaries annually, marks MSD’s strategic CSR entry into Assam—part of a broader healthcare intervention across 17 underdeveloped districts in India, many designated ‘aspirational’ by NITI Aayog. By positioning CSR not just as compliance but as rural public health infrastructure, MSD signals a shift in how pharmaceutical companies approach last-mile delivery in emerging markets, especially in politically and geographically complex regions like Northeast India.
Assam's Riverine Focus: Why South Salmara?
Speaking at the launch to Business North East (BNE), Neelima Dwivedi, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at MSD India, explained the rationale behind selecting South Salmara. “The region comprises 12 riverine islands, which are particularly difficult to access by conventional means. Smile Foundation, our implementation partner, will manage logistics, staffing, medical equipment, OPD scheduling, and follow-ups,” said Dwivedi. “Our role is to support, monitor, and evaluate the impact of the services on the ground.”
Dwivedi confirmed that the project in Assam aims to reach over 25,000 beneficiaries across the three districts in its first phase. “This includes both the MMUs and the newly launched boat clinic. All units will be staffed with a doctor, nurse, counsellor, and driver. They will also be equipped with diagnostics, testing tools, and medicines, ensuring on-site treatment post-consultation,” she added.
The program’s operational model emphasizes community-based staffing to ensure better outreach, language familiarity, and local trust.
“Most of the personnel, including medical and logistical staff, are locally recruited,” said Dwivedi. “This regional presence improves communication with patients and ensures continuity in care delivery.”
To ensure program transparency and impact evaluation, MSD has implemented a dual monitoring framework.
“An independent third-party agency conducts periodic audits and impact assessments,” Dwivedi said. “In parallel, our internal team—including senior leadership—conducts site visits to gather real-time beneficiary feedback and assess logistical operations.”
National Scope and Aspirational Districts
This CSR initiative is not limited to Assam. According to Chand Berry, Financial Director, MSD India, the project spans 17 districts nationally, most classified as aspirational districts by the Government of India—regions identified for focused development intervention.
“These areas often face systemic healthcare delivery challenges due to geography, infrastructure gaps, or high poverty ratios. Through this program, we’re creating a model for community-level intervention that can be scaled based on need and performance,” Berry told BNE.
When asked about MSD’s operational infrastructure in Assam, Dwivedi clarified that a permanent office is not required for effective engagement.
“We operate through regional partners and direct oversight. In states like Assam, our presence is ensured through close collaboration with implementation agencies.”
Boat Clinics: Bridging the Last Mile
The boat clinic introduced in South Salmara is designed to serve the region’s inaccessible river islands. It provides the same medical services as the MMUs, including general consultation, basic diagnostics, medicines, and counselling.
“These clinics address a critical access gap in river-bound communities. With limited infrastructure, boat clinics are often the only viable solution to reach populations residing in island clusters,” said Berry.
Smile Foundation maintains a digital database of patients for continued monitoring and follow-ups, ensuring that care is not limited to single interactions but is tracked over time for outcomes and referrals when needed.
Alongside medical services, the program includes community health education and awareness components. Smile Foundation works with ASHA workers, health volunteers, and local government health officers to ensure residents are informed about the availability and benefits of mobile healthcare services.
“Each village or island region receives a detailed visit schedule in advance. Smile Foundation coordinates this with local community leaders to avoid duplication and to maximize attendance,” Berry explained.
The outreach is designed to address not only illness but also preventive health awareness, especially for maternal and child-care, non-communicable diseases, and nutrition.
Previous Impact and Next Steps
MSD and Smile Foundation have prior experience implementing similar programs in states like Bihar, where the mobile healthcare model has shown measurable outcomes. Dwivedi emphasized the importance of data-backed evaluation in driving such programs.
“We refrain from providing unofficial numbers. Every patient interaction is documented and tracked. Monitoring and data reporting are embedded into our program design.”
Dwivedi also referred to MSD’s previous work in cancer care, carried out in collaboration with SCCF and public health institutions, particularly focused on decentralized service delivery for patients unable to reach healthcare centres.
“The patient feedback from earlier cancer care programs has reinforced our belief in distributed, locally integrated care models,” she added.
Berry clarified that MSD’s commitment goes beyond short-term interventions.
“This is not a one-time initiative. Based on learnings from these three districts, we will explore expansion into other underserved zones of Assam and Northeast India,” he said.
MSD sees this as a scalable healthcare delivery model using mobile units and boat-based clinics in geographically challenging regions. The outcome of this Assam pilot could inform future CSR healthcare strategy in similarly underserved and dispersed populations.
As Assam continues to seek effective private-public healthcare partnerships in remote zones, the MSD–with no permanent office in Assam and it’s Smile Foundation collaboration marks a structured, community-linked, CSR-funded initiative addressing critical healthcare gaps. Whether this intervention sustains its impact and scales beyond the first 25,000 patients will be key to evaluating CSR’s evolving role in India’s healthcare economy—especially in states where public infrastructure gaps continue to invite private partnership.
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