CSR News: Vedanta opens second COVID Hospital in Odisha

Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium and its value-added products, has dedicated a second COVID hospital to the people of Odisha, developed at Eklavya Model Residential School, in Deogarh as part of its CSR.

With the new COVID facility at Deogarh, and a similar one at Kalahandi, Vedanta has added 300 critical care beds to bolster Odisha’s medical infrastructure, aiding the state’s efforts to provide timely and proper care to critically ailing patients.

Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, opened the hospital to public in a virtual ceremony, in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Government of India, Anil Agarwal, Chairman – Vedanta Group, and Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd. Set up under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, both hospitals have been funded by Vedanta Aluminium and will be managed by the Government of Odisha.

The COVID facility at Deogarh has 100 beds and is fully oxygenated with 12 Intensive Care Units (ICU), 32 High Dependency Units (HDU), a Paediatric COVID ICU, and a dedicated team of doctors and medical staff to render medical services to the patients. The new hospital is the last of Vedanta’s COVID field hospitals and facilities established across the country. Vedanta has set up more than 1000 critical care beds across India, of which Odisha has been supported with one of the highest number of beds.

Dedicating the hospital to public, CM Naveen Patnaik said, “With the support of Vedanta Group, we had started a 200-bed hospital at Kalahandi, and today we dedicated a 100-bed hospital at Deogarh. I thank Anil Agarwal and Vedanta Management for coming forward as a corporate partner in our fight against COVID.”

Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman – Vedanta Group, said, “The Deogarh COVID Hospital is our humble contribution to the people Odisha, with whom we have had a long and enriching association. The Vedanta Cares Field Hospital project is our flagship CSR initiative to lend much-needed support to India in the fight against COVID, and I am pleased that we have delivered upon that commitment. I thank all host state governments for their unequivocal support which helped us fast-track this project and set up facilities across the country in only a month’s time. May they become a strong support in the nation’s fight against COVID and help keep our people safe.”

Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd., added, “The COVID Hospital at Deogarh is Vedanta Aluminium’s second such facility developed in partnership with the Government of Odisha. We hope the hospitals in Kalahandi and Deogarh will be of immense help to the people of Odisha, along with the District COVID Hospital at Jharsuguda which we have been supporting since the past year. Under the enterprising and far-sighted leadership of CM Naveen Patnaik Ji, we are sure Odisha will continue to battle the pandemic effectively and efficiently. Vedanta Aluminium will continue to extend its support and resources to aid the state government and district administrations through this critical situation.”

Through its Aluminium Business, Vedanta has already vaccinated nearly 30,000 people in its ecosystem, including employees, business partners and their family members residing in Odisha.

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