Prestige group puts its heart into Covid relief Bangalore

Among various measures, Prestige Foundation has donated Rs 2 crore for Covid relief, set up more facilities at Vimalalaya Hospital and HBS Hospital in Bengaluru and at Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, vaccinated over 1,000 employees and frontline workers, and distributed 20,000 ration kits

Irfan Razack, Prestige group CMD, sees the Covid crisis as an opportunity to support all those in need

As India faces the brutal impact of the second Covid-19 wave, more corporates are chipping in with their support in the nation’s fight against the pandemic. Prestige Foundation, the CSR division of the Prestige group, has redoubled its Covid relief efforts, and since April 2021 has donated more than Rs 2 crore for the relief of those in immediate need.

The Foundation has equipped an additional wing of Vimalalaya Hospital in Electronics City, run by the congregation of FIH Sisters (Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) with 24 general ward beds, medical equipment such as ventilators, oxygen tanks, bed monitors, a 450-litre liquid oxygen cylinder, bypass machines and injection pumps. The Foundation has also contributed to setting up a 24-bed ICU facility at HBS Hospital through Rotary Bangalore Midtown, and ventilators and oxygen concentrators at the Kodagu Institute of Medical Science.

In addition, Prestige Foundation is not only promoting the urgent need to get vaccinated, but is also facilitating its property residents across Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad by hosting vaccination drives. So far, the group has successfully vaccinated over 1,000 employees and frontline workers with the help of BBMP, Lions Club and private hospitals. The vaccination drive extends to daily wage construction workers across all the sites as well.

Since the onset of the lockdown in April this year, the Foundation has distributed over 20,000 ration kits (each kit providing a monthly sustenance for a family of 4) in the innermost areas of Bengaluru such as Byatarayanapura, Hebbal, Kempapura, Nagawara, Pulakeshinagar, Govindpura, Shampur, Shivajinagar, Ulsoor, Bharathinagar, Siddapura, Lakkasandra, Byrasandra, Gurupanpalya, Jayanagar, Chamarajpet, City Market, Whitefield, Varthur and Hoskote.

Isolation centres

In preparation for any medical requirement, Prestige Foundation has created two makeshift isolation centres for the employees of Property Management Services, an extension of Prestige Properties, with 20 and 30 beds. In order to avoid commuting, comprehensive boarding and lodging arrangements have been made for safer recovery of critical staff at construction sites itself.

The Foundation ensures relentless and free-of-cost assistance such as procuring oxygen supply and concentrators, on-call ambulance and on-call doctor. The Foundation has procured over 50 oxygen concentrators that can be used by employees and their families, as well as by residents across Prestige properties. Prestige Foundation has also facilitated the donation of 25 oxygen concentrators to private hospitals by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Essentials for staff

Employees are additionally provided end-to-end assistance with courier services, including essential services delivery at their doorstep. In the unfortunate occurrence of an employee’s demise due to the pandemic, the group has a policy which supports the education of that employee’s children.

Commenting on the situation, Irfan Razack, CMD, Prestige group, says, “We are immensely grateful and deeply appreciate the unrelenting and compassionate efforts by frontline workers and medical staff in the current challenging scenario. In an attempt to equip and ensure the welfare of the community amidst the prolonged pandemic, we have undertaken adequate measures which fulfil our responsibility towards our extended family. It is the opportune time to leverage one’s resources optimally and provide support to all those in need for a healthy future.”