Coal India Limited (CIL), the manpower intensive industry, is on high alert to guard its employees, by ramping up the medical infrastructure and availability of oxygen cylinders across its subsidiaries, to combat the second surge of Covid-19.

In what could be the highest mobilization of Covid beds by a corporate entity in the country, the Maharatna coal miner has set up around 2000 beds which include ICU, isolation and covid care beds with oxygen support. While oxygen supported beds are over 750 the ICU beds number nearly 70. This apart, CIL’s coal companies have also tied up with local hospitals and State governments funding and facilitating beds to step up Covid relief measures. Availability of beds in local peripheral areas is also being increased.

When the patients of Covid-19 are on surge, Central Coalfields Limited(CCL)’s management has responded promptly to request of Command Districts and signed 6 MOUs with concerned authority for creation of ICU facility Latehar district, creation of COVID Containment Centre in Ramgarh, digital Covid centre for caring home isolated Covid patients , ICU equipments at Sadar hospital in Chatra, Medicines and Equipments at Covid hospital/care centre Giridih,  Medical Equipments for management of Covid in Palamu, ICU equipments for management of Covid at Medical College in Hazaribagh etc.

Recently, CCL has responded promptly to request of its command area districts and signed two MOUs with Ramgarh District Administration for contribution of Rs 99.00 lakh towards creation of COVID Containment Centre and second MoU with Latehar District Administration for contribution of Rs 95.00 lakh towards setting up of 6 bed ICU+6 bed Recovery at Sadar Hospital,vLatehar.

Emergency utility equipment has been scaled up with around 2000 Oxygen cylinders ready for use and 70 ventilators in operational state. (upto 25 April), Three of the subsidiary companies are considering installing oxygen generation plants to tide over the shortage of the life saving element.

Plans are afoot to further increase the medical facilities to meet any exigencies. The situation is being closely monitored at the highest levels of CIL and coal companies, working out plans for augmenting emergency medicines, beds and accessories to combat the Covid.

“Ours being a manpower intensive industry we are concerned about our workforce and doing all we could to prevent the spread of the pandemic at our mining areas, All our subsidiaries are battling on multiple fronts by scaling up protective and relief measures.” said a senior official of CIL.

Coal companies are stocked with adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Large numbers of masks and sanitizers have been distributed so far in one of the largest logistics mobilization in tackling Covid.

Concurrently, the company is also taking measures to ensure seamless production and off-take. With the onset of summer, the demand for electricity is rising and the company has to maintain steady supplies.

CIL has ascertained that the contract workers do not take a pay hit and full wages are ensured to them, even in the event of lockdown, with extension of free medical facilities at CIL’s area hospitals. CIL has also declared ex-gratia payment of Rs.15 Lakhs to the next of kin of employees including contractual workers, in case of death due to Covid.

“The second surge was an unforeseen situation, but we are bracing up with building medical infrastructure and logistics” said the executive. Coal companies of CIL, since 1 April, have taken up a vaccination drive on war footing for people of above 45 years age.

So far the average vaccination is around 1,700 persons per day. Since this is an ongoing process, the numbers are expected to go up considerably higher going forward. Vaccination is for company’s employees, their dependents and contractual staff.