IT Industry gets ready for COVID-19 Relief Support in India

Government hospitals in India are especially overwhelmed at the moment due to Covid-19. During these striving times, corporates are extending their helping hands in every possible way to help employees and their families. Apart from donating for fighting against Covid-19, people must get the vaccination. With the entire nation fighting the second wave of the pandemic, every small bit of help goes a long way.

Keeping the employees’ well-being at utmost priority, many IT companies have implemented various initiatives and policies to help navigate through physical and mental health challenges while ensuring business continuity. Here are some key initiatives:

Key IBM initiatives:

Vaccination for all IBMers: Vaccination camps, in line with Government regulations, in all major cities for IBM employees and their family members.

Dedicated 24x7 medical helpline through Portea for a variety of services. These include doctor consultation, medical and home care services, testing services; 500 oxygen concentrators to support IBMers and their families.

Emergency Transport for Medical Needs: IBM will offer emergency transport facilities for medical requirements for both, employees and immediate family members who are:

- Covid-19 positive (for transport to a medical facility)

- Covid-19 negative (for procuring medical supplies or attend to impacted family members).

Medically supervised quarantine facilities in hotels: IBM has partnered with Apollo Hospital group (national chain in India). It will offer medically supervised “step down” facilities at designated hotels in every major city. IBM employees and immediate family members can quarantine in case it’s not feasible at home. IBM is also covering additional insurance coverage for each insured employee and their covered dependents (spouse & children) for up to Rs. 5 Lakhs per member covered.

Key Cyient Initiatives

Food Distribution Drives: Over the next four weeks, the Cyient Foundation will serve fresh, healthy, and hygienically cooked meals to Covid-19 patients and the elderly. So far, they have served over 6,000 cooked meals.

Information Support on Covid-19 Resources: With the help of volunteers, Cyient will help validate crucial information to provide accurate and timely data when a life is at stake.

Manufacturing and Distribution of Essential Gear: The Cyient Foundation will manufacture and distribute masks and PPE suits to frontline health workers and staff at these hospitals, care centres, isolation centres, and within the community. They have distributed over 6,400 masks and 340 PPE suits so far.

Setting up Makeshift Hospitals: The Cyient Foundation has partnered with hospitals in Bengaluru to help fight Covid -19. It will provide funds to support the procurement of oxygen. It will also provide additional beds to serve poor patients, and procure ventilators.

Key HCL Initiatives

HCL has extended its Covid-19 mitigation efforts across the country. It will include Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states. Here, it will provide a 100 bedded Covid-19 treatment facility (including 50 oxygen beds) at GIMS, Greater Noida. In Lucknow, HCL has provided six ICU ventilators, 20 oxygen beds and a mini oxygen generator plant (capacity of 45 LPM) to the Fatima Hospital.

Additionally, HCL is supporting an L-1 Covid Care Facility and the District Hospital in Hardoi. There, it has provided essential equipment and consumables. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, HCL has provided 30 ICU beds at St John’s Hospital in Bengaluru; safety gear and PPE for frontline workers in Madurai and Chennai; essential medical and non-medical equipment for medical institutions in Chennai.

HCL has also collaborated with local Municipal bodies to spearhead vaccination centres in cities and towns including Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Vijayawada, Madurai, Lucknow, and J&K.

Key Mercedes-Benz R&D India (MBRDI) Initiatives

MBRDI will cover the cost of Covid-19 vaccination for all its 6000 employees in India, as well as their dependents. It will also provide a Covid-19 home isolation care programme in tie-up with Apollo Clinic. The company will provide all-paid medical care and advisory services for two weeks. Mercedes-Benz R&D India will also provide Covid Kawach, additional insurance cover exclusively for Covid-19 treatment, for the employees as well as their dependents.

As part of its #TogetherWeCan initiative, the company has also launched an in-house, virtual response task force - Covid-19 Warriors.