Bajaj Auto Limited has announced a series of additional measures as support in the fight against the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a company statement, the latest policy announcement is in addition to several initiatives already undertaken by the company over the past one year. The larger Bajaj Group has committed an additional Rs. 200 crore in support against the war on COVID-19. Last year, the Bajaj Group had offered Rs. 100 crore. These funds will go towards various government, local administration and NGO initiatives, including the procurement of 12 oxygen plants and other respiratory support equipment since the onset of the pandemic last year.
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Bajaj Auto has started COVID care facilities in and around the company's plants
Apart from financial contributions, Bajaj Auto had already started facilities for tests and treatment at its multiple Covid care facilities, all equipped with professional medical care and 24X7 monitoring, the company statement said. It has also extended the support of its engineers who have worked closely with government authorities to audit the oxygen systems at more than 70 hospitals across districts in Maharashtra to prevent wastage of this precious resource.
During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, Bajaj Auto had started a 32-bed facility at its Akurdi plant that operates from eight buildings and provides free treatment by trained medical personnel. This was in addition to other COVID centres in Waluj (200 beds), Chakan (16 beds) and Pantnagar (15 beds). The company says that while a certain proportion of the beds are reserved for the company's employees and its staff, the remaining beds serve the requirements of the respective communities.
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Bajaj Auto has conducted more than 4,400 tests since June 2020 to help employees, their family members and contract workmen
According to Bajaj, more than 4,400 tests were conducted in-house since June 2020 to help employees, family members and contract workmen in early detection of infection. The company has also tied up with various municipal corporations to set up vaccination camps to inoculate its employees and their families.
The Waluj centre has been set up under the aegis of Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital. This Covid care centre began as a 36-bed facility in June 2020 and has since been expanded to a 200-bed facility. It was started for Bajaj Auto's workers and their families but now serves not just its employees but also the community around the plant. More than 1,140 patients have recovered at this facility. As part of the initiatives in Waluj, the oxygen production project at the Primary Health Centre - set up on behalf of Janakidevi Bajaj Foundation - was also inaugurated recently.
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Bajaj Auto is India's leading automobile exporter and the largest exporter of motorcycles
The company has tied up with Akurdi Hospital and the Pune Municipal Corporation to set up vaccination camps to inoculate its employees, their families, and the extended workforce. It is also talking to vaccine providers in accordance with the rules framed by the government for procurement of vaccines. According to the company, Bajaj Auto's initiatives to help combat COVID-19 have not been limited to creating medical infrastructure but have also touched lives by providing food to daily labourers and the needy since last year. It has distributed 7,500 food packets, and continues to do so, from its Akurdi plant in response to an appeal by the MIDC. The company has also enabled local police with motorcycles and supported auto-rickshaw drivers with food packets during the lockdown. Bajaj Auto has also announced a series of employee-centric benefits for families of employees who have lost their lives in the pandemic.
