With the second wave of COVID-19 appearing to be on the wane, the focus has moved to preparations for a third wave through infrastructure augmentation and vaccination. While awareness – and in turn demand for vaccines – has picked up, more so after the window was opened to people in the 18-44 age bracket, private companies are coming forward, along with residents’ welfare and apartment associations, to facilitate vaccination for their staff.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India, for instance, said 88% of employees aged above 45 years have been given the shot under a voluntary vaccination drive, and the facility has been extended to the rest of the staff as well now. “We are in touch with hospitals to conduct mass vaccination at our offices and factory sites, and are conducting a multi-channel employee awareness campaign on the vaccination drive,” said N. Venu, CEO and Managing Director, Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India.
Ridesharing app Ola said administration of the first dose of vaccination for over 50% of its employees and their dependants above 45 years of age was completed in April, and a drive to vaccinate the rest began after the government opened up vaccination for everyone over the age of 18 in May.
“The vaccination drive is live in Bengaluru where a majority of Ola’s employees are based, and will expand to other cities in the coming weeks as vaccine supplies improve,” the company said in a statement. It has partnered with hospitals and has set up a vaccination camp within the campus. “This helps people avoid unnecessary exposure during hospital visits, and also makes it super convenient as there is minimal wait time.”
Real estate firms too have been organising vaccination camps. Embassy Group had rolled out a free vaccination drive for its employees across India from June 1, through which the company aims to inoculate all 1,867 employees located in its offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and the NCR.
Puravankara rolled out an on-site vaccination programme in its Bengaluru office on June 5. The inoculation drive offers safe, free-of-cost access to vaccines to all its employees and contractual staff as well as their family members.
“Puravankara has partnered with multiple health service providers for the ongoing vaccination programme in Bengaluru. All the processes within the programme are strictly aligned with the State-mandated health regulations and local guidelines. By building on our partnership with local health bodies, we aim to protect our employees from COVID-19 as well as contribute towards the nationwide immunisation efforts,” said Ashish R. Puravankara, Managing Director, Puravankara.
Earlier, the Biocon Group of Companies had inaugurated a vaccination centre at the Bengaluru campus of Syngene International Limited as part of a nationwide drive for mass vaccination of individuals above the age of 45.
