Wipro expects to access about one lakh doses of COVID vaccine for employees

IT major Wipro Technologies on Wednesday said it expects to have access to about one lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its employees and their families, beginning early June.

The Bengaluru-based company said it has partnered with top-tier hospitals and a tech-enabled online-to-offline delivery platform, which specialises in primary care and urgent response services, to provide COVID-19 vaccination support to its India-based employees.

"As part of this partnership, beginning early June, subject to availability, Wipro expects to have access to a total of 1,00,000 doses of three vaccines Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V -- as the first tranche for the exclusive use of our employees and their dependents (spouse and children)," Wipro said in a statement.

The objective is to ensure vaccination for all its employees at the earliest, it added.

"Given the severity of the second wave of the pandemic, the importance of vaccination cannot be emphasised enough...Vaccination services will be provided free of charge and will be administered both at our campuses and at partner hospitals around the country," it said.

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While Wipro did not name the partner hospitals, it said these organisations together have a presence in over 140 locations across the country.

As India reels under the impact of the deadly second wave of coronavirus infections, several states had witnessed a shortage of medical oxygen, beds, and other resources. Organisations across the spectrum have come forward to support the relief efforts.

Efforts to ramp up vaccination are also underway. India has so far administered over 18 crore jabs to eligible beneficiaries.

Ecommerce major Amazon said its US business is sending critical medical equipment worth over $5 million to support hospitals and other COVID care facilities across India.

It said critical life-saving equipment, including 82 anaesthesia ventilators, 1238 BiPAP machines, and 60 ventilators have already reached India, and the medical equipment will be given to Amazon's on-the-ground community partners such as the American India Foundation, ACT Grants and Swasth, who will distribute to verified hospitals and non-profit organisations across the country.

Additionally, Amazon is donating transportation services to the American non-profit organisation - India Association of Western Washington - and working to support the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation and other US non-profit organisations to help get medical supplies to India.

Software major SAP said a consignment (worth about Rs 10 crore) from SAP Germany consisting of ventilators, respiratory humidifiers, and the full-face mask was handed over to Karnataka's Department of Health on May 18.

SAP is working with the district collector of Rural Bengaluru to strengthen the healthcare and public health systems in four taluks. The company has also been mobilising 50 Oxygen Concentrators for four taluk Hospitals.

Further, it has created make-shift hospitals, which would extend critical care unit with 100 beds, in Doddaballapura. In collaboration with partner hospitals and hotels, a COVID Care Centre will go live soon.

SAP employees and their immediate eligible families will have access to vaccination at the SAP Labs India campus once the vaccination supplies begin.

SAP Labs India colleagues are also volunteering for the Karnataka Government's COVID War Room and contributing to creating applications to help run the war rooms. Its teams also supporting the Indo German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) and its 4,500 members by leveraging SAP Jam to build a marketplace to exchange COVID resources among member companies, a statement said.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) said it has worked with Apollo Hospitals to set up 45 isolation beds across Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai.

HPE is also in the process of setting up an 80-bed isolation centre that will include critical care facilities in Bengaluru and Chennai. These centres will entail converting large hotels into COVID-19 care facilities equipped with oxygen beds and limited Intensive Care Units and will be staffed around the clock by doctors, nurses and paramedics.

The company has procured oxygen concentrators and is working to get these deployed through paramedic staff to employees across Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram and Mumbai.

Mitron TV, a homegrown short-format video app, said it has got on board the National President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) J A Jayalal to address questions related to COVID-19.

DesignTech Systems said it has launched a free augmented reality-based app for COVID-19 patients and families to set up an oxygen cylinder at home. The app - available for Android and iOS devices - will provide detailed visual step-by-step instructions to install and administer the oxygen.

Robin Hood Army (RHA) has started a WhatsApp-based service to help senior citizens easily seek support and get connected to a volunteer who can help them with the vaccination process. The WhatsApp chat-bot also guides volunteers who want to come forward to join RHA, share surplus food or volunteer with the senior patrol.

CloseAPP - a hyperlocal social app created by Roposo founder Mayank Bhangadia and Harsha Chhabra - has been launched to help people across the nation connect with one another within their location and get medical help in real-time.

The app helps users post their requirements on the app and also learn about the availability of plasma, oxygen, ICU beds, vaccines and ventilators around their location.