MANOJ SINHA
Ramgarh, April 15: The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than three years now and recently the country witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases. In view of the concerns about the emergence of new variants of the virus, Tata Steel`s West Bokaro Division is all geared up to address COVID-19 cases.
To serve the community better and be future-ready to fight against COVID-19, the Division, through its social impact arm, Tata Steel Foundation, had set up 50 oxygen beds with 833-litre oxygen plants at Tata Central Hospital (TCH), which is still operational. The hospital is also equipped with 10 Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) systems and 5 ventilators. The inauguration of a new 28-bed New Wing facility at the hospital is yet another step to address the COVID-19 crisis in the future. So far, a total of 27,953 tests have been done by the hospital.
During the first wave of the pandemic, a total of 906 patients from the entire district were treated. 1,176 patients were treated through free medication and home isolation. During the second wave, a 50-bed indoor facility was provided in the hospital with 5 bed ICU facility with ventilation. All community patients were treated free of cost. During the third wave, 137 patients were treated in the hospital’s 50-bed facility. A standby was created in the Tata DAV School with 80 oxygen beds. 1,534 patients were treated. The hospital also started free vaccination for everyone. A total of 21,340 vaccines have been provided by the hospital to date.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tata Steel Foundation had reached out to the citizens of West Bokaro and its surrounding areas through various initiatives to deal with the pandemic, for instance, distribution of cooked food packets & food supplies, door-to-door surveys, mask distribution, COVID screening & test, counselling on various COVID-19 related issues, establishment of COVID Care Centre at Holy Cross School, sanitisation of peripheral villages, etc. The Foundation also engaged with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in manufacturing masks and introducing kitchen gardening to engage daily wage labourers whose livelihoods were impacted during the lockdown. Tata Steel Foundation has been the front runner in ensuring community health care needs were catered to and all government facilities including vaccines were enabled on time.
Tata Steel Foundation in collaboration with Tata Steel Limited developed an 80-bed COVID Care Centre with piped oxygen facility at Tata DAV Public School, Ghatotand. The Centre was virtually inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren.
The West Bokaro Division is raising COVID-19 awareness in the community and seeking support from the employees to continue following COVID-19 protocols.
