IT major Infosys on Saturday announced that it is opening a COVID Care Centre (CCC) in Bengaluru, which will cater exclusively to the company’s employees and their family members. The CCC is being opened in partnership with Manipal Hospitals and will be operational from Saturday, April 24. Infosys said in a statement that this is being done to help those COVID-19 positive individuals with mild or no symptoms who do not have adequate home isolation facilities. The CCC will be open to individuals without comorbidities from 18 to 60 years of age. Admission and discharge will be strictly based on a medical screening by Manipal Hospitals.
Accommodation, food and doctor consultation will be paid by the company, while incidental costs such as medical tests, medicines, etc will have to be borne by the employee. Infosys further said that oxygen will be provided to patients in emergencies, but in case enhanced medical support is required, the patient will be shifted to Manipal Hospital or any other health facility nearby. The CCC will be located at Hotel Royal Orchid off Old Airport Road in Bengaluru’s Domlur. As per the treatment protocol, visitors or bystanders will not be allowed.
Infosys is also organising vaccination camps at its campuses to inoculate employees and their families against COVID-19. The company has partnered with 130 hospitals where employees and their immediate families can get vaccinated, in addition to on-site vaccination camps.
Infosys has urged its employees to stay at home and prioritise their health amid the huge spike in COVID-19 cases in India. “The second wave of COVID-19 has hit the country and an enormous number of fresh cases are being reported on a daily basis...request you all to put your health and that of your family members above everything else,” Pravin Rao, Chief Operating Officer at Infosys, said in an email to employees. The mail also advised employees to follow protocol such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding crowds and closed spaces.
Further, he asked employees in all locations to continue to work from home if they are not part of the critical workforce. "If you are required to come to the office to meet critical client requirements, make sure that all the safety measures have been followed. In order to ensure safety, all those who need to work from office as part of BCP (business continuity plan) are encouraged to stay in ECC (employee care centres) to avoid daily commute and reduce exposure,” he added.