Covid-19 crisis: IndiGo announces initiatives to support employees

No-frills carrier IndiGo on Thursday said it is setting up a 13-beded dedicated COVID care centre in collaboration with Columbia Asia Hospital in Gurugram, for those coronavirus positive employees who may need access to an oxygen bed with related medical facilities.

The facility, which is part of slew of measures being taken by IndiGo to support its employees and their families amid the pandemic, can be used both by the employees and their immediate family members, the company said.

The airline said it has already commenced vaccination drives across 40 stations in its network and at its support centre at Gurugram and there are drives planned for some additional stations later this month.

But this is dependent on vaccine supplies and how quickly these will be made available by the government and private hospitals, it said.

In the last two weeks, the airline said, it has set up a central task force, which is further supported by a regional task force network, to establish, monitor and review response strategies and create programs to help its people.

Besides, IndiGo has also partnered with hotels for quarantine facility, which is aimed providing a safe and hygienic place to any of the employees who are COVID positive with mild symptoms or are asymptomatic or are staying away from their hometown and want to safely distance from their housemates or family members.

"We do hope that all these measures help them and their families in these challenging times. It is really a moment to express our gratitude to all our people who have demonstrated exemplary resilience, grit and empathy in this current scenario," said Raj Raghavan, Senior VP and Head of Human Resources at IndiGo.

The budget carrier has also launched a Plasma Donor Bank initiative last week, with assistance from employees who have recovered from COVID-19 in the past three months, said the company, adding some 110 employees have come forward (so far) to volunteer for donating plasma.

In addition, IndiGo has come up with "The Wellness Corner" mobile application and 24X7 helpline for doctor consultation, in partnership with Truworth Health Technologies, as part of these initiatives, said the release.