District Collector G.S. Sameeran on Friday urged the industries and voluntary organisations to contribute funds under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to vaccinate workers and the needy through private hospitals.
The Collector chaired a meeting with industry associations, industry heads, hospital representatives and voluntary organisations.
He said that a large number of doses were available with private hospitals every month. These can be used to vaccinate industry workers and the needy.
“When the programme was launched, we collected ₹ 68 lakh on day one. This will be put to use soon. The funding can be done every month so that more people can get vaccinated through private hospitals,” he said.
According to industry sources who took part in the meeting, the private hospitals charge ₹780 per dose of Covishield. The hospitals will give priority to workers of industries that have contributed to the fund and vaccinate them free of cost.
The Collector said that as vaccine production increases, the quantity available with private hospitals is likely to go up. At that point of time, funds can be crowdsourced too to vaccinate the needy. Currently, the plan is to pool in donations and CSR funds and private players who procure vaccines from it will be able to give it free of cost to industry workers, and the needy.
“This is a dynamic requirement as private players will get vaccines every month,” he told The Hindu .
The industry association heads who took part in the meeting said they would have to discuss with the member units before making a commitment to the district administration.
“The aim of the effort is to make use of the vaccine with the private hospitals, get more people inoculated so that Coimbatore is safe if there is a third wave,” said one of the participants.
“We have asked the Collector to give a request that we will forward to our member units. Each unit can decide how to take it forward,” said M.V. Ramesh Babu, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries Association.
“There were multiple options from the industries. Some wanted to know if the industries and workers can share the vaccination cost and get the workers vaccinated at private hospitals. Some industries wanted to know if they can tie up directly with the hospitals. But many units are waiting for free vaccination for the workers,” said S. Surulivel, president of Coimbatore Railway Suppliers Association.
According to Coimbatore and Tiruppur District Micro and Cottage Entrepreneurs Association, it conducted two camps so far where the workers were vaccinated free of cost. It is not possible for all micro units to bear the vaccination cost for the workers. It has suggested to the district administration to conduct camps in all industrial areas so that more workers get inoculated.
An official said that some of the government departments were contributing money towards this effort. “We took our vaccines free of cost. If each staff of the Department contributes some amount, we will donate that fund,” said B. Karthigaivasan, General Manager of District Industries Centre.
