Hyundai Motor India on Wednesday announced a Rs 20-crore COVID-19 relief package through its philanthropic arm for a series of initiatives to offer infrastructural assistance to the most affected states of Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

Through the fresh step in continuation to its ongoing COVID-19 relief programmes, Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) will deploy resources to set up oxygen generating plants in hospitals, to aid critical patients and help hospitals become self-sufficient in oxygen, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said in a statement.

Besides, the foundation will also aid the installation of medicare facilities and provide support staff to various hospitals and cater to their operational cost for the next three months and further if needed, it added.

Commenting on the measures, HMIL Managing Director and CEO SS Kim said, "The second wave of this COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented crisis for the nation...To offer meaningful assistance to the most affected cities and states, Hyundai has redeployed its resources and channelled efforts that will provide relief during these difficult circumstances. We are organising resources on a war footing and hope to help in abating this crisis".

"In times of despair, we often lose hope amidst the chaos, but it is also times such as these that bring out the best of humanity within us all," he added.

The company said the relief measures have been specially developed with the focus of addressing the needs emerging out of the current crisis and it is aiming at helping people and infrastructure cope with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

"To ensure timely assistance is delivered to highly affected cities and states the company is evaluating all options to expedite the deployment of these resources on a war footing," the statement noted.

Hyundai said it has also organised a vaccination drive for its staff aged above 45 at its manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu through the office of the Sriperumbudur government primary health centre and will continue such efforts to help overcome the pandemic.