At a time when even the affluent sections are finding it difficult to get the best healthcare facilities and hankering for super speciality hospital beds amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public sector power major NTPC is throwing its weight behind its severely-infected employees by providing the best possible treatment.
The simple fact that the Maharatna company has airlifted a dozen of its coronavirus-hit employees, including a couple of dependants, from across the country to Hyderabad and other places during the past one month and admitted them in corporate hospitals for better treatment indicates its commitment to the welfare of its workforce.
“It needs more than the best HR (human resource) policy to support the staff battling the dreaded virus. The company has spent about ₹1.75 crore on the airlifting of a dozen employees or their dependants, besides meeting the hefty hospital bills for their super speciality treatment. It also needs dedicated teamwork and liaising to get things done”, a senior officer involved in the exercise told The Hindu, requesting anonymity.
Admitting that getting hospital beds in the critical-care hospitals during the surge in COVID-19 cases was tough, not only for individuals but also for major companies such as NTPC, the authorities stated that even arranging the air-ambulance to airlift the critically-ill patients was a huge task since only a handful of agencies were providing the service.
‘People before PLF’
“NTPC has always believed in putting its people before PLF (plant load factor of its power generating stations). We have been working on a war-footing during the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 to ensure the best of medical help and facilities reach each of our needy employees. Providing air-ambulance is an extension of facilities we have arranged for the critical patients and it has saved several lives,” says M.S.D. Bhattamishra, Executive Director (HR), Corporate Office.
The NTPC has airlifted five COVID patients from Patna, Ranchi, Delhi and Indore to Hyderabad, and others to Delhi and Kolkata. Of the five patients brought to Hyderabad, two have been discharged already while two others are still undergoing treatment and one succumbed to the infection.
Financial assistance
The company authorities said in the event of permanent disablement or death of an employee while in service, the beneficiary family is entitled to monthly payment equivalent to 50% of employee’s last drawn salary (basic pay, dearness allowance and special pay) in addition to the financial assistance with voluntary contribution of employees, now enhanced to ₹38 lakh keeping in view the prevailing COVID situation.
Of it, 50% is paid as upfront payment to the family of the deceased employee and with the balance 50%, annuity is purchased for deferred payment to the family.