HCL provides Delhi govt with oxygen plants, cylinders to support COVID-19 relief efforts

HCL Group on Tuesday said it is supporting the Delhi government by providing oxygen plants and cylinders to support COVID-19 relief efforts.

"HCL is supporting the Delhi Government with 12,000 oxygen cylinders each with a capacity of 40 litres and 21 oxygen plants which will generate 8,800 litres of oxygen per minute, catering to around 1,500 patients at a time," it said in a statement.

Two of these ready-to-use oxygen plants, which were imported from France, have already been delivered and will get installed at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in the national capital, it added.

As India reels under the impact of the second wave of the pandemic, hospitals in several states are facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen and beds. Social media timelines are filled with SOS calls with people looking for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, plasma donors, and ventilators.

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Organisations across the spectrum have come forward to source and donate oxygenators, breathing machines, and ventilators. HumSafer Driver Safety Foundation has launched an initiative - #DriveForOxygen - to support 4,000 HAZ certified drivers who are clocking over 12 hours to supply oxygen across various parts of the country.

"Presently, there are only 2,000 oxygen containers in India, and 4,000 HAZ certified drivers who can drive these vehicles. #DriveForOxygen is a donation drive whose proceeds will help elevate them to essential workers and provide them with incentives, healthcare, vaccinations and COVID insurance coverage for them and their families," the Foundation said in a statement.

Payments and banking technology company Cashfree announced the launch of 'Payment links for Donations' to help organisations raise funds and accept payments digitally for COVID-19 relief. The link will be created using Cashfree Payment Gateway Dashboard and can be listed on the organisation's website as well as shared through WhatsApp, SMS, e-mail, and other social media platforms to collect donations.

Fintech major Paytm, which had launched a vaccine finder tool, said over 1.5 million citizens have registered for the feature. The Vaccine Finder tool is now available in 11 regional languages, and has witnessed users from over 730 districts registering to find vaccine slots.

Amanda Nusz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and President of Target Foundation (part of US retailer Target), said the organisation is focused on providing communities with additional resources and supplies.

"Part of that support is a Target donation of $500,000 to UNICEF USA to help increase access to life-saving oxygen treatments in hospitals across India and bring faster, more accurate testing resources to the hardest-hit communities. We're also donating to local nonprofits providing additional aid throughout the country," Nusz said adding the organisation continues to support its more than 3,400 team members in India.

Supria Dhanda, Vice President and Country Manager (India) at Western Digital, said the company has contributed to a local NGO for building and equipping a 30-bed portable hospital.

"Additionally, to help curb the spread, we will be providing a CSR grant to help distribute COVID-19 vaccines. We will also be supporting an NGO to assist it in procuring and distributing medical equipment, PPE, and other vitally needed items through their robust network," Dhanda added.

PC maker Acer said it is procuring oxygen concentrators for India, and that the first batch of oxygen concentrators has arrived in the country for immediate distribution.

"As a company that has been in India for over two decades, it is our responsibility to come to the need of the nation at a time like this. We hope the oxygen concentrators supplied by Acer will go in some way to help provide this life-saving treatment to critical COVID-19 patients," Harish Kohli, President and MD of Acer India, said.

Acer India has also contributed oxygen cylinders to NGOs who run COVID-19 healthcare centres including all the expenses for continuous re-filling of the cylinders which has enabled them to save lives.