Paytm to set up oxygen plant, provide concentrators in Gujarat
Paytm has raised over Rs 25 crore as part of its Oxygen Initiative on its platform. It will support Gujarat Governor Acharya Devrat's 'Corona Seva Yagna' initiative.
Fintech giant Paytm on Tuesday said it will provide 100 oxygen concentrators and set up an oxygen plant in Gujarat in an attempt to bolster its fight against the second wave of COVID-19.
The oxygen plant will be set up in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Paytm Founder and Chief Executive Officer Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in a press conference, while the concentrators will be provided to government-run hospitals across cities.
It took the step to support Gujarat Governor Acharya Devrat's 'Corona Seva Yagna' initiative in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state.
"We acknowledge and appreciate Paytm’s proactive commitment and efforts to help our state. We are optimistic that our combined initiatives will thwart further disruption caused by the pandemic," the governor said in a press release.
Paytm said it will set up 12-13 more such oxygen plants pan-India to fight the recent shortage of oxygen, which has ravaged the country and killed thousands. Besides, over 21,000 oxygen concentrators will also be sent to government hospitals, COVID-care facilities, private hospitals, and nursing homes in May, the fintech company added.
A series of unfortunate incidents that led to the death of eight Paytm employees due to the unavailability of oxygen cylinders or beds led to VSS setting up the oxygen initiative, he said during a press conference.
After he took steps to ensure provisions were available for his employees, he decided to do the same for the rest of the country, he added.
"It’s crucial in the time of crisis to provide a pillar of support to our fellow citizens as pandemic waves hit the shores," VSS said.
Apart from the oxygen initiative, Paytm also launched a COVID-19 vaccine finder feature on its mini-app store to help users check the availability of slots. The Noida-based fintech giant said that over 1.5 million unique users have registered for the service already.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Finder provides information in 11 regional languages and notifies users when new slots open up across 19,000+ pin codes.
Edited by Suman Singh