IT services major Tech Mahindra on Thursday said it has opened a 25-bed COVID care unit at its Hinjewadi-Pune facility to support the COVID-19 relief efforts. Tech Mahindra will offer 25 beds, along with healthcare and pharmacy support in partnership with Ruby Hall Clinic – Hinjewadi Unit, a statement said. The centre will be open to associates and their families for healthcare support, it added. The patients will be treated and monitored by the doctors and nurses of Ruby Hall Clinic – Hinjewadi and will have access to essential services, including food, pharmacy, oxygen, and Wi-Fi, among others. Maharashtra, especially Pune has been badly affected by the second wave of the pandemic.
The launch of our Hinjewadi COVID care unit in Pune is a humble initiative from our end to stand by the Maharashtra government in their efforts to combat the current crisis and lend a helping hand to people in need,” Rajendra Kembhavi, Head Human Resource (Pune) at Tech Mahindra, said. Tech Mahindra has taken a number of steps in view of the pandemic to help its staff and their families. These include COVID-19 vaccination drives, setting up a 24/7 Emergency Help Desk to address requests related to hospitalisation and medication, and setting up an Associate Welfare Trust. India is registering a record number of COVID-19 cases daily that has put extreme pressure on the healthcare infrastructure of the country. The number of new coronavirus infections touched 3.62 lakh cases and 4,120 fatalities, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Thursday.
The massive rise in infections during the second wave of the pandemic has led to hospitals in several states reeling under a severe shortage of medical oxygen and beds. Social media timelines are filled with SOS calls with people looking for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, plasma donors and ventilators. Organisations across the spectrum have come forward to support the relief efforts. IT firm Cyient said it is undertaking a number of steps – right from providing financial assistance to facilitating the procurement of essential goods – to support the community in these challenging times. “Our emergency task force is working 24×7, offering immediate attention for critical cases – teleconsulting services for associates in need of medical help, salary advances, facilitating the supply of oxygen cylinders, access to ventilators, and hospitalisation. We have also launched a wellness app to get real-time status on our associates’ health and enable local support,” Cyient MD and CEO Krishna Bodanapu said. So far, over 6,000 cooked meals have been served, and the Cyient Foundation continue to serve cooked meals to COVID-19 patients and the elderly over the next four weeks.
The foundation is manufacturing and distributing masks and PPE suits to frontline health workers and staff at various hospitals, care and isolation centres. It has distributed over 6,400 masks and 340 PPE suits so far. The organisation has also partnered with hospitals in Bengaluru to help fight COVID-19, and will provide funds to support the procurement of oxygen, additional beds to serve poor patients, and procure ventilators. “We also plan to set up plasma donation drives where our associates and other volunteers who have recovered from COVID-19 can donate plasma to help patients currently fighting the infection. For those who are COVID-19 positive but do not have space to quarantine, we are looking to convert parts of our office into isolation centres,” Cyient said in a statement. Chennai-based Zoho Corporation said it is helping hospitals and healthcare centres across Tamil Nadu with the procurement and distribution of essential medical equipment for COVID-19 treatment. The company has also donated Rs 5 crore to the state government’s public relief fund.
Other initiatives underway to support the state’s fight against the second wave of the pandemic include an isolation care facility at the Estancia campus for employees and their families, vaccination drives, and community kitchens catering to villages around Chennai and Tenkasi. Zoho has helped government hospitals in Tamil Nadu get timely refills for 200 cylinders. While 200 new cylinders have been ordered, the distribution of 700 oxygen concentrators is also underway for government hospitals and corporation healthcare centres. DonateKart and media-tech company, NEWJ have collaborated to organise a campaign that aims to encourage donations in aid of ‘Doctors For You’. FIS said it has initiated a voluntary blood plasma donation drive for employees who have fully recovered from COVID-19 to support other colleagues in need. The company has about 55,000 employees globally, of which one-third are from the Indian region. It is also providing support for medical emergency help like ambulance, oxygen support, hospitalisation and critical medicines.
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