Odisha: Industries seek state’s help to get vaccine for staff, families

BHUBANESWAR: Various industries’ associations and corporate houses have sought the state government’s help in vaccinating employees and their family members. A meeting between such associations, PSUs and corporate houses was held on Wednesday to discuss the issue in which the government agreed to help the corporate houses facilitate direct purchase of vaccines from the open market.
“The government has assured the industrial houses and industries’ associations of all possible help in facilitating the regulatory clearances through coordination with various agencies. We may also coordinate with the manufactures on their behalf. But they have to procure the vaccines on their own and bear their cost,” a senior government official said.
The Centre had earlier allowed 50% of the total vaccines to states, corporate houses and the private sector. Sources said a number of industrial houses in the state have expressed interest in procuring the vaccines from the open market to vaccinate their employees and their family members.
Appreciating the role of the industrial houses in tackling the pandemic, the government official said vaccinating employees of various industrial houses is crucial to continue commercial operations and to sustain the industrial economy of the state.
“The industrial houses, during the first wave of the pandemic, had contributed a lot and set up healthcare facilities for their own employees. As the state is facing the second wave, we have again sought their help to tackle the situation,” the official added.
In view of the increase in the requirement of oxygen for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in Odisha, the state government has converted all industrial oxygen cylinders available with various industrial houses for medical purpose.
Besides, the state industries department had also urged the industrial houses to arrange for equipment like oxygen concentrators and medical oxygen cylinders with regulators and valves as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the management of the pandemic in the state.
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