COVID-19: TKM provides Mobile Medical Unit to IISc to scale up testing in Karnataka

Bengaluru, 12 June 2020: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) handed over a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) today to help scale up COVID-19 testing in Karnataka. IISc that is located in Bangalore is India’s leading institution of advanced education and research in sciences and engineering.

The MMU will be used as a molecular diagnostic laboratory that can test for Coronavirus and provide results quickly thus reducing turnaround time while further scaling up testing. It would reduce the chances of transmission as patients can be tested within the confines of their surroundings preventing overcrowding at hospitals resulting in containing the virus. The mobile unit can be driven to provide prevention and relief activities in areas where there is no medical support infrastructure for the local community.

Shekar Viswanathan, Vice Chairman and Whole-time Director at TKM along with his team handed over the unit to Professor Anurag Kumar, Director, IISc in the presence of senior members of the institute on Friday.

Commenting on the handover, Shekar Viswanathan said, "The rapid rise in the number of cases in the last few days in India has put more strain on the medical infrastructure particularly from a testing standpoint. Mobile units such as the MMU will be crucial to complement the laboratory network on the ground. To increase testing and to flatten the COVID curve, corporates and Governments have to join hands. We, at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, remain committed to supporting the Government of Karnataka in fighting this pandemic and will continue to collaborate with them on various fronts."

Since the onset of the pandemic, TKM has been proactively responding to the crisis in accordance with the needs of the community and the Government. The company contributed INR two crore to Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund followed by the handing over of 3,000 Hazmat suits to the Government Health Volunteers in the state. About 3,500 essential kits, benefitting over 15,000 members were given to daily wage workers.