Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal, pledged Rs 150 crore to help the country in its fight against the rapidly spreading second wave of Covid 19. This is over and above Rs 201 crore that was spent by the Vedanta group last year. Vedanta is India’s  leading producer of Metals, Oil and Gas.

In an effort to support the tremendous efforts being made by the Government of India and State governments, Vedanta Ltd will create additional capacity of 1,000 critical care beds in 10 cities pan-India.

The critical care beds will be placed in state-of-the-art ‘field hospitals’ which will be attached to recognised and reputed hospitals. Each facility will have 100 beds in an air-conditioned tent with full electrical support and designed specifically for Covid care, informed an official.

The critical care facilities will have 90 beds equipped with oxygen support while the remaining will have ventilator support, he said.

Speaking on the initiative, Anil Agarwal said, “I am deeply concerned and anguished to see the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 and loss of precious lives. Vedanta group has come forward to pledge Rs 150 crore towards our commitment to fight the pandemic and we stand firmly with our people and the government at this difficult time.”

“We believe that this additional infrastructure that will be set up immediately will bring much-needed relief for those affected by this deadly virus. Vedanta will also provide essential medical equipment for our heroic doctors and healthcare workers. We will continue to do everything possible that will help us together overcome this crisis,” he added.

The States where the additional capacity of critical care beds will be created are Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Goa, Karnataka and Delhi NCR. The company has set a target for the first set of facilities to be ready and commissioned within 14 days and balance facilities will be augmented within 30 days. Vedanta has estimated this support for a minimum 6-month period.

Vedanta is working closely with the government bodies and local administration to provide medical facilities and hospital care to those in need. The company is currently supporting around 700 beds for Covid patients across its business locations, which will be increased to 1,000 in the near term.