German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz India has decided to set up a temporary hospital with medical facilities and isolation wards for COVID-19 patients in Pune.
The newly developed medical facility in Mhalunge-Ingale village, Chakan Khed, will have isolation wards with a capacity to take care of 1,500 patients.
Mercedes-Benz India will assist the Zila Parishad with all the necessary infrastructure, including the medical equipment required to create a temporary OPD, infrastructure for stay, stretchers, wheel chairs, PPE kits, sanitisers, essential for the smooth functioning of the hospital and isolation wards.
The company has also directly supported the Grant Medical Foundation (Ruby Hall Clinic) by donating ventilators.
Martin Schwenk, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “The new medical facility will help support the local authorities and the people of the region with healthcare in the coming times, if the situation worsens. We stand together with our community and it remains our endeavour to support them and the authorities in every possible way. We hope for a steady recovery of the crisis and getting back to normalcy.”
The facility is in Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) housing area, which is newly built with 374 rooms. Post easing of COVID-19 condition, the facility will close down and the medical equipment will be donated to the civil hospital in Khed. Also, the assets from isolation wards will be given to the tribal youth hostels by government authorities.
Mercedes-Benz India will also support 1,600 families from Khed and Viman Nagar. The company will provide them dry ration and cleaning kits, it said. The company’s employees have voluntarily donated one day’s salary and the company will make a matching contribution which will be given to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Meanwhile, ITC Ltd has announced a ₹150 crore COVID-19 contingency fund for vulnerable sections of society. While IndiaBulls has contributed ₹21 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, Fund Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council has decided to contribute ₹21 crore to the fund, besides the ₹50 crore commitment it had made for the welfare of workers of the sector.
