The largest bank in the country, SBI has decided to set up preliminary hospitals in some of the worst affected countries, that have ICU facilities for COVID-19 patients. The bank has earmarked Rs 30 crore for the development of emergency medical facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with NGOs and Hospital Management. In the states that are most affected, the bank intends to set up a thousand beds with 50 ICU facilities, some could include 120 beds, while others could have 150 beds with adequate health facilities depending on the ability of a hospital to scale up.
“It is noteworthy that last week the Ministry of Corporate Affairs authorized the treatment as an eligible Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity of improvement of hospitals and temporary care facilities. The second wave of COVID-19 is having an impact on India, with over 3 lakh cases for the last 8 days. The death toll increases every day. Every day. The country saw a record one-day increase in 3,79,257 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,83,76,524”, said Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family.
SBI also works with hospitals and non-governmental organizations to provide oxygen concentrators to the patients, in the course of different initiatives undertaken by the country’s largest lender in its fight against COVID-19. The bank has linked hospitals throughout the country, to facilitate the treatment of patients who have fallen sick, on a priority basis for the safety of their employees and their families.
“We have a plan of action in place. For the initiatives associated with COVID-19, we have allocated Rs 70 crore plus from which we give Rs 21 crore to 17 circles. The bank donated last year the Citizen Support and Emergency Relief (PM CARES) Fund to the Prime Minister. SBI contributed 0.25% of the yearly profit, while staff raised more than Rs 100 crore to the fund. Rs 11 crore contribution also contributed to the promotion of vaccination”, added Harsh Vardhan.
“We also ensure that important medicines etc. are supplied so that employees are not inconvenient. Various teams of medical officers are involved in supervising and coordinating COVID-19 support activities in the area under their competence at local Head Offices and Zonal Offices. The COVID position on all bank levels is monitored and assistance is provided as quickly as possible by a quick answering team (QRT) headed by a General Manager at the company center”, said Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of State Bank of India.
For its workers and their dependent family members, the bank decided to bear the cost of immunization, it’s very hard to replace the loss, if employees are unfortunate dead, but some assistance is immediately granted and also liberalized appointments for employees of those who have been lost their life due to this pandemic in a compassionate way, till now, 70,000 of 2.5 lakh personnel were vaccinated and monitor this number closely and this is expected to continue beyond 18 years after 1 May. The bank has conducted consumer awareness campaigns on digital banking, adding local commitments on hand sanitation, masks, PPE kits, ambulance donations.
