New Delhi, 31 March, 2020: Responding to the call made by Prime Minister of India to donate in newly established ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’, India’s largest public sector steel making Maharatna , Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has donated Rs 30 Crore.
As per the website run by Prime Minister’s office, the government has created to fund named PM CAREs Fund a public charitable trust and its primary objective is dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected.
Coming to SAIL donation, SAIL employees have also come forward and contributed a day’s salary amounting to approximately Rs 9 Crore.
On the occasion, Chairman of SAIL Anil Kumar Chaudhary said, "This is a humble contribution from the Company and its employees in the fight against the Corona virus emergency. We stand committed to dedicate ourselves in the service of the Nation in every possible way. Along with this, we have also scaled up and mobilized various health services in coordination with local authorities of respective State governments for fighting this Medical emergency situation."
He said that during this time of lockdown, the Company, despite cutting production, has kept its essential Plants and equipment in running condition with minimum manpower, after taking necessary preventive and safety measures. The Company has also provided large number of medical facilities including ICU beds, isolation beds, quarantine facilities, large quantities of sanitizers, PPEs, masks etc at its hospitals and at the workplaces in its Plants and Units.
Meanwhile, SAIL has mobilized various health services in large numbers across all its hospitals situated in its five main hospitals located in the five integrated steel plants to fight against the outbreak of Corona virus. The five hospitals namely, JLN Hospital & Research Centre at Bhilai, Durgapur Steel Plant Main Hospital at Durgapur Ispat General Hospital at Rourkela Bokaro General Hospital at Bokaro and Burnpur Hospital at IISCO, Burnpur, of SAIL have created isolation wards, quarantine facilities, ICU beds along with other necessary health equipment to specially deal with the cases of corona infections. These facilities have been made available to the local administration also for utilisation. The Company is also producing masks through self-help groups & making large quantities of masks, PPEs and sanitizing facilities available across all the health units and work areas.
Till date, the Company has created isolation wards with 330 beds, quarantine facilities with 592 beds at these five hospitals. SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant is handing over 5 ventilator units to Odisha Government to cater to their requirements. The Company is continuously monitoring the situation and making necessary arrangements in the best possible manner in the fight against corona virus. Arrangements have been made to ensure continuous supply of sanitizers, masks and PPEs etc.
x
