Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Launches COVID-19 Initiatives

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) will collaborate with Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru, to procure 110 oxygen concentrators for hospitals across Karnataka. The German Consulate, Bengaluru, Rhenus Logistics and Nayonika Eyecare Charitable Trust are the other organizations having a hand in the initiative.

The latest announcement is a part of MBRDI’s initiatives to ensure the health and safety of its employees as well as the larger community. The oxygen concentrators are manufactured by Phillips and are lightweight, easy-to-use and low maintenance. The machines that have already arrived in Bengaluru will be deployed in close partnership with BBMP and the Health Department of Government of Karnataka.

MBRDI has also launched a number of initiatives to support its employees during the ongoing pandemic. Some of the notable ones include –

• Free COVID-19 vaccination for all 6000 employees in India, along with their families.
• Partnering with Apollo Clinic to provide all-paid medical care and advisory services for two weeks as a part of its home isolation care programme.
• Introducing ‘COVID Kawach’, a supplementary insurance cover designed exclusively for COVID-19 treatment.
• Launching an in-house, virtual taskforce called COVID-19 Warriors as part of its #TogetherWeCan initiative.
• Establishing a 24X7 helpline to provide medical teleconsultation, information on nearest hospitals and emergency services as well as guidance on doorstep RT-PCR swab collection.
• MBRDI’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) has extended its outreach to ensure employees’ mental health and well-being.
• A three-meal delivery to employees and their immediate family affected by COVID-19 or in quarantine.

Manu Saale, MD&CEO, MBRDI, reinstated that the health and safety of the employees is the biggest concern right now. He also talked about the safety measures like virtual medical consultations, COVID-19 care leaves, insurance coverage as well as the vaccination programmes.

Commenting on the collaboration with C-CAMP to procure oxygen concentrators, he said, “Empathy is the need of the hour and at MBRDI, we are mindful that the communities around us need to be supported in all possible ways. It is both our honour and duty to strengthen the larger relief efforts with the procurement of oxygen concentrators for the hospitals in Karnataka.”