Arijit Singh, a singer and music composer, has collaborated with Facebook through its SocialForGood Initiative and GiveIndia to raise funds for COVID relief to support rural India. This is the first time Arijit is hosting a live fundraiser and through this campaign titled ‘Helping rural India breathe and stay safe”, Arijit intends to provide essential supplies such as oxygen equipment, beds, medicines, food and financial assistance to those affected by the pandemic in small towns and villages. 

The relentless second wave of COVID-19 has already stretched the availability of essential medical equipment and crippled the healthcare infrastructure in cities. However, the problem has begun to escalate with the spread of the virus into the smaller towns and villages of the country. 

Through his initiative, Arijit hopes to help provide medical equipment and healthcare needs to help those in such regions - like his own hometown of Murshidabad, West Bengal.

To support the initiative, donors can directly go to the GiveIndia fundraiser page and make a contribution to the cause. As a part of the campaign, Arijit will also be doing a livestream through Facebook from his village of Murshidabad on Sunday, June 6th, the details of which he will be announcing on his Facebook page. Fans can both enjoy the live concert, and make a contribution to his fundraiser on GiveIndia.

Commenting on the fundraising campaign, Arijit said, “I have grown up in a small town in Murshidabad in West Bengal and wouldn't be who I am if not for my small-town upbringing. Seeing how COVID is affecting the people of rural India and watching these regions lack the required infrastructure saddens me and improving things in these regions is of critical importance for the livelihood of crores of people.”

Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India added, “Facebook’s SocialForGood initiative is focused on supporting large community causes by bringing together public figures and creators to raise awareness and funding. We are happy to partner with Arijit Singh and GiveIndia for this cause and enable people to come together on our platform through music in these times and help raise funds for those in need.”

GiveIndia CEO and Founder 2.0 Atul Satija said, “While the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the cities after a deadly peak is a ray of hope in these bleak times, the spread of the infection to rural areas is deeply worrying. These regions have inadequate health facilities and limited access to basic needs.  It is critical to support our rural population with lifesaving medical supplies, put healthcare infrastructure in place where there is none, and help with nutrition and financial aid. GiveIndia is grateful to Arijit for his support through the campaign to minimise the negative impact of the pandemic in rural India.” 

The concert will go live on the official Facebook page of  Arijit Singh on 6th June at 8PM IST. 

Maharashtra health minister, Rajesh Tope has said that even as the state is in the phase of gradually easing lockdown restrictions, it is already preparing for a possible third wave that may hit the children. The government has already set up a pediatric covid task force and put the administration on alert. 

“We have alerted the administration to set up pediatric wards. Maharashtra has set up a pediatric task force with the best and brightest of brains from paediatrics and started implementing their suggestions,” Tope said, in live conversation with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now.

Speaking at length about various odds and how the state is handling Covid-19, Tope on the issue of vaccination said that Maharashtra is aggressively preparing to vaccinate its entire population and has kept aside funds for the same. “We have the capacity and capabilities to vaccinate 10 lakh people per day. Only the issue is that vaccine is not available.”

Tope said the state floated a global tender to source vaccines, but none of the responses is up to the mark or complied with requirements. “Some have not given rates, others have not specified the delivery schedule.”

He appealed to the central government to come out with a policy for vaccine import for states.

“The centre must have a policy of One Nation, One Rate for all states and it must facilitate delivery schedule. Despite having all available resources due to these issues, we are not able to procure vaccine.”

Tope was in a live webcast of the Visionary Talk series held by public policy and governance analysis platform.

Tope who is the cabinet minister in the state assembly expressed concerns about rising Mucormycosis cases in Maharashtra where a single patient can require at least a hundred injections. He said the central govt should allot injections as per the number of cases in a state and when Maharashtra has the highest number of cases, it should get injections accordingly.

The state health minister while responding to a question on augmentation of health infrastructure and especially rural health infra said, “Health infrastructure has been exponentially ramped up. During covid, the government has made available 4.5 lakh covid beds and more than 2 lakh oxygen beds in the state. The govt sanctioned a fleet of 1000 ambulances. 500 are already on roads and the remaining 500 will be on roads in a month or 2.”

He added that the govt is filling up 100% sanctioned posts that have been lying vacant for the last 4-5 years along with increasing number of beds, equipment, doctors and paramedics in hospitals.

He also said that Maharashtra is moving in the direction where every district in the state should have its own medical college. “In the last 4-5 months the state cabinet has sanctioned proposals for 6 new medical colleges. Each medical college will be set up at the cost of Rs 700 Cr.”

Tope said that with the govt now giving relaxations to districts reporting low numbers and with industries and manufacturing already working to full capacities we are now in the phase of releasing lockdown restrictions. “Lockdown is the key to contain the virus’ he added.

Myntra has partnered with GiveIndia for a multi-faceted fundraising initiative. With a commitment to supporting the nation in this need of the hour, Myntra has enabled its customers to contribute generously, using their ‘Myntra Insider’ points, to COVID relief efforts, including towards the cost of refilling oxygen cylinders. Launched in May this year, the drive allows customers to use their Insider Points (the loyalty program points accumulated from shopping on the platform), to contribute to the cause, without having to actually contribute real money.

Since the commencement of the drive, over 33,000 customers from various cities have come forward and contributed more than 26 million Insider points. The donations through Myntra Insider points have helped in adding 1.5 lakh kilograms of oxygen and facilitating medical care facilities at over 11000 homes for the needy. Myntra is also extending support to healthcare heroes and critical patients at COVID centres and hospitals by providing essential medical supplies through its fundraiser campaign with GiveIndia. The composite value of the funds collected in partnership with GiveIndia, as part of both the activities, so far amounts to nearly INR 10 million.

Myntra’s association with GiveIndia is a testament to the use of technology for the good of the community while enabling customers with a seamless and effortless donation program.

Speaking on the initiative, Amar Nagaram, CEO, Myntra, said, “We are proud to play the role of an enabler, by providing our customers the opportunity to donate their Myntra Insider points for the larger good of the community. We are committed to and are constantly working towards identifying and initiating activities that contribute to the nation's collective efforts of saving lives and fighting the pandemic. We have also extended COVID Relief measures to our employees and partners, and amplified our contributions towards supporting the current healthcare needs of the nation through our partnership with GiveIndia.”

GiveIndia CEO and Founder 2.0 Atul Satija said, "We are very grateful to Myntra customers, who have become a valued part of our COVID relief work. Like last year, they have again come forward to support critical needs during the COVID crisis - this time raising funds to augment the overburdened health infrastructure. It is a wonderful example of India's citizens rallying together to help each other during the nation's greatest hour of need."

Launched in September 2018, ‘Myntra Insider’ is a unique loyalty program that offers a comprehensive package of tiered benefits and privileges for top Myntra customers as they engage and shop more on Myntra. The loyalty programme boasts of a host of one of its kind benefits, such as fashion advice through personalised styling sessions, VIP access to flagship sale events, and exclusive access to limited edition launches and collections. In addition, Myntra Insiders can also save big with exclusive vouchers and deals from Myntra and other lifestyle partners in the fitness, entertainment, health, food and travel space.

As the country works to beat the overwhelming second wave of COVID-19 this summer, organisations have been quick to recognise their role not just in contributing to the relief efforts across the country but also to supporting and safeguarding their own employees at this time. With life-saving medicines, supplies and oxygen running out, and with citizens across the country scrambling to find hospital beds, India Inc. has rolled up its sleeves and has displayed its compassionate side in numerous ways. From helping employees with hospitalisation and treatment costs to setting up COVID care centres, these companies are going an extra mile to look after their employees’ well-being during this second deadly wave.

Some organisations have also pledged to look after the dependants of employees who lose their lives to the disease. Earlier this month, Borosil Ltd announced that the families of employees who lose their lives to COVID-19 will be given two years’ salary and their children’s education will be covered till graduation by the company. The company’s MD Shreevar Kheruka made the announcement on Twitter, stating that Borosil’s real assets are their employees and paying his respects to four employees that passed away recently after succumbing to the coronavirus. The company joins a list of several other organisations across the board that have been quick to recognise that employee welfare is critical during this humanitarian crisis. Another similar example was set by textile manufacturer RSWM Ltd. The company’s Managing Director, Brij Sharma announced on social media that the company will pay 50% of monthly salary to the family of an employee who loses his life due to COVID-19 for the next two years, while also contribute some part for the education of the employee’s children for the next three years and provide medical coverage to the family for three years, among other things. Similarly, Bajaj Auto has announced multiple support measures for its employees amidst the ongoing second wave. The brand has stated that in the case of an employee’s death due to COVID-19, the brand will be offering monetary support up to a period of two years after their demise. The brand will also provide support for dependant children’s education till graduation and ensure a five-year hospitalisation insurance for all the family members of the deceased employee.

Putting employee safety first

Indian conglomerate, Godrej too has undertaken a number of initiatives for the employees to heal during these testing times across its businesses. Godrej Properties recently announced a three day break for their teams to recuperate emotionally. Godrej Consumer Products is also giving a mandatory day off once a month to its employees to recharge and reset. “We shifted to remote work for all our office-based team members well before it was mandated by governments. As a precautionary measure, we have asked our sales team members in India to work from home too, and are leveraging technology to manage different aspects of our systems and engage with partners,” says Rahul Gama, Head - HR, Godrej Consumer Products. In addition, the company is also providing COVID-19 medical insurance and life insurance for its extended workforce including salesmen on distributor rolls, CFAs, drivers and computer operators. The emphasis on safety is in fact also echoed by other company leaders and HR heads. “At Crompton, we stuck to our belief that people come first,” states Satyajit Mohanty – Vice President – HR, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, while explaining that the company is taking great care to ensure safety of people through its implementation of safety protocol for employees across the board. 

Companies like OYO are in fact going the extra mile by costs for tests, medical equipment and medication for employees. An OYO spokesperson tells us, “We’re offering home care/home quarantine in COVID positive cases through the company’s insurance policy up to Rs 25,000 per family. Our policy also includes reimbursement for RT-PCR test, pulse oximeter and thermal scanner, oxygen charges, FDA certified medicines, masks and gloves, PPE kits, etc.” With WFH being the new norm and with isolation becoming a necessity for those who test positive, corporate firms are identifying ways to help employees recuperate while ensuring COVID norms are maintained. Take for example, e-learning platform upGrad that has partnered with five-star hotel properties to provide accommodation and created ‘Temporary Safe Workplace Bubbles’ for employees who were staying in rented accommodation or who returned to Mumbai to re-join the office. “upGrad is evaluating the COVID situation on a daily basis, and as the second wave intensifies, our utmost priority is the safety and comfort of our employees along with ensuring that they are mentally and emotionally at the right place in their lives,” explains Arjun Mohan, CEO - India, upGrad.

Given the grim reality, much like Borosil, several other companies are also putting in place policies in the event of an employee’s untimely demise on account of the pandemic. “The company will extend the following support to a deceased employee’s family: 50% of monthly salary for two years as living allowance; medical insurance for family (spouse and two kids) of Rs 5 lakh for 10 years; education fees for two kids up to graduation; consider spouse/children for suitable job roles based on company’s policy as per requisite qualification and skills,” says Kaustubh Sonalkar, Group CHRO, Welspun Group.

Ramping up relief efforts

Pharmaceutical company Mankind Pharma has developed a 700 bed facility in Gurgaon Civil lines for anyone who needs emergency care and is ensuring its Mediclaim policy covers all employees who need medical help during the pandemic. Joy Chatterjee, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Mankind Pharma shares, “Mankind Pharma works on three principles – people, product and process and in these tough times, we are ensuring our employees are safely working remotely and we offer support to those in need to promote positive mental health amongst employees.” 

Many organisations are going beyond just vaccination and ensuring mental health for their employees – they are also assisting in finding medical care, hospital beds, quarantine facilities and providing home-cooked meals for their affected staff. Consumer goods company, Marico too has created a COVID war room for companies that need emergency help, including sourcing hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, medicines and plasma. “Our employees have time and time again proven to be the backbone of our organisation. As the second wave of COVID-19 is on the rise, we continue to keep people at the centre of all our critical business decisions,” says Amit Prakash, CHRO, Marico Limited. Online automobile marketplace, Droom too has set aside a budget of Rs 1 crore to support employees and dealers during these times. It has also set up a SWAT team to verify all leads regarding oxygen supply, hospital beds, food suppliers, plasma donors, and COVID-related life-saving drugs. 

All hands on deck

Aside from employers, employees are also rallying in support of each other during these trying times, helping arrange essentials and medication for those in need. “During the pandemic, last year, we started Trust@CARS24 with a commitment to help those employees who needed financial assistance for any medical purposes. This year, our employees have stepped forward to donate funds to Trust@CARS24,” says Kunal Mundra, CEO, Cars India, CARS24 detailing the efforts the brand’s staff are making to reach out to each other. “Our employees have come together and created a special team to provide drivers and logistics support in 25 cities for their colleagues, who need to procure essentials and oxygen cylinders, etc.,” he adds. 

Omnichannel platform Fynd too has placed employee welfare at the top of its priority list, adding that it is an important element of its culture. Farooq Adam, co-founder of Fynd explains how the company is taking steps to ensure physical, mental and emotional well-being of its staff during the deadly second wave. He says, “We are utilising all our resources to ensure our people and their families have access to treatment in case of COVID. We went ahead and doubled our medical insurance coverage and have assured interest-free loans for those who need further help in covering medical treatments. We have also implemented 4X CTC as term insurance to ensure families are financially safe in case of a sudden loss.”

HOW ARE BRANDS HELPING THEIR STAFF?

Godrej Consumer Products Limited

• COVID-19 medical insurance and life insurance for extended workforce including salesmen on distributor rolls, CFAs, drivers and computer operators
• Covering home quarantine expenses
• Tele consultation via Apollo 
• Vaccination for employees and families
• Support helpdesk to collate and track requests from employees and families
• Partnership with InnerHour, a mental health platform

Marico

• Created a COVID War Room to help employees source hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, medicines and plasma
• Free COVID-19 vaccination for employees and families
• Providing financial security and support to the bereaved family in case of employee demise

OYO

• Offering home care in COVID positive cases through the company’s insurance policy upto Rs 25,000 per family

• Reimbursement for RT-PCR test, pulse-oximeter, thermal scanner, oxygen charges, FDA certified medicines, masks, gloves, etc.
• Covid-19 vaccination for employees

Tata Consumer Products 

• Leveraging third party tie-ups for RT-PCR testing
• Empanelled doctors for consultation
• Assisting employees with COVID related emergencies through designated SPOCs
• Home delivery of medicines 
• Insurance coverage for COVID treatments, testing and vaccinations for employees and dependents

Mankind Pharma

• Vaccination tracker to ensure vaccination for all employees
• Medical coverage for all employees
• Set up a 700 bed facility in Gurgaon Civil lines for COVID-related emergencies 

Duroflex Mattresses 

• Care support helpline called ‘Anchor Advisors’, where even company MD Mathew Chandy assists 
• Converted factories into vaccination centres for employees above the age of 45 
• Tele-consultation for employees and their families
• Insurance cover for COVID treatment for employees and distributor network

Droom

• Announced budge of Rs 1 crore for COVID relief for employees and dealers
• Offering 5x insurance cover to employees and family members
• Emergency ward with basic medical facilities for employees 
• Isolation wards for automobile dealers 
• Created COVID SWAT team to attend to urgent requirements such as hospital beds, oxygen, etc. 

CARS24

• Started Trust@CARS24 to provide financial assistance to employees for medical purposes 
• Compensating testing costs for of COVID-19 for all employees and their families
• Covering vaccination cost for employees and two family members

Fynd

• Total hospitalisation cover of Rs 8 Lakh for employees, parents, spouse and kids 
• In case of employee demise, 4X CTC to family
• Medical loans with 0% interest to help with additional hospitalisation costs
• Assistance with medication and finding hospital beds 
• Additional COVID leave
• Reimbursement for vaccination for self and family members

Amway

• Assistance with oxygen requests and vaccination for employees
• Covering all medical expenses arising due to COVID-19 
• Created a makeshift isolation centre for employees to recover

Tata AIA Life Insurance

• Facilitation for vaccination for employees and dependants 
• Up to Rs 50,000 advance salary to assist on ancillary expenses
• Practo partnership for online COVID related consultation
• Care @Home packages(Available PAN INDIA)
• Tie up with Ginger  Hotels, managed by Apollo Hospitals and other isolation facilities in 45 locations 
• Oxygen concentrators available at 8 select locations
• Special Covid Kavach protection policy for managers and below 

Capgemini

• Arranging on-premise vaccination for employees and their dependents
• All-India Command Centre: to address medical emergencies related to hospital beds, ventilators, oxygen, medicine, plasma, etc. 
• Project GoodFood to provide home-cooked meals to employees and dependents affected by COVID-19
• Partnered with various hotels to provide quarantine centres for 14 days
• In the unfortunate case of employee demise due to Covid-19, ex-gratia financial assistance for their nominee / next of kin

UpGrad

• COVID-19 vaccination drive for employees and their families
• Tied up with five-star hotels in Mumbai and ‘Temporary Safe Workplace Bubbles’ for employees who have come to Mumbai and are living in temporary accommodations 
• Rolled out salary hikes during this appraisal cycle to show appreciation for employees’ hard work during tough times
• Dedicated COVID Helpline monitored by the upGrad leadership
• Medical insurance for all employees

Cloudtail

• Created a COVID-19 support and resource handbook for its employees
• Launched new virtual features like consultation with pulmonologists and specialists and medicine delivery and general physician consultations 
• Coverage for RT-PCR tests, COVID insurance and additional leave for COVID
• Access to COVID screening plan, doorstep medicine delivery and hotel isolation service at a nominal cost 

Welspun

• Set up COVID Care centres and war rooms
• Additional support to families of employees who lose their lives to the disease
• Vaccination drive for employees above the age of 45 years 

Publicis Groupe

• Round -the-clock task force to help employees and families get the help they need
• Augmentation of sick leave and healthcare coverage to cover any COVID treatment received at home through the company’s health insurance provider
• Coverage of all vaccination costs for staff and their dependents
• Support with hotels and accommodation for those who need to quarantine 

Facebook is expanding COVID-19 Announcement in India, which is a tool for the health departments of States and Union Territories to share essential COVID-19 related updates with their communities. This is part of their ongoing efforts to support the public health authorities' work to keep people safe and informed during the coronavirus public health crisis. India is the second country after the US to launch this feature and Facebook has partnered with 33 states and Union Territories to roll this out in their respective jurisdictions. The COVID-19 Announcement feature will give health departments the ability to push out timely, credible COVID-19 and vaccine information to people in their local communities/ state jurisdictions. States will be able to issue these alerts statewide or to specific cities within their state.

When posts by state health department pages on Facebook are marked as COVID-19 Announcements, their reach is amplified so that people located in the community are more likely to see them. Facebook will send notifications to people located in the affected area, and will also show that information on the COVID-19 Information Center. This will help distribute important and urgent updates related to COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination efforts to people in the community.

COVID-19 Announcements on facebook can be used to communicate:

• Information on existing COVID-19 resources, such as helplines
• Updates on hospital bed availability in districts, such as Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and oxygen supported beds
• Changes to existing COVID-19 rules and regulation that can impact communities and day-to-day actions, such as lockdowns, night curfews and changes to treatment protocols
• Information about vaccine eligibility and registration, and the logistics of acquiring a vaccine
• Accurate information on COVID-19 appropriate behavior
• Preventive behavioral health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19