Tech firms, startups gearing up to vaccinate employees after May 1

Healthcare platform PharmEasy says 5 million individuals and 1,200 companies have already made a "soft commitment" to vaccinate themselves and their families

As the country readies itself for an expanded vaccination drive on May 1, technology firms and start-ups are preparing themselves to inoculate their employees or help efforts to vaccinate with the minimum amount of exposure.
 
Infosys, for example, has set up Employee Covid Care Centres in partnership with Ruby Hall Hospital in Pune and Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru. The centres support employees and their family members who have contracted Covid and need special medical care beyond home quarantine. The technology services major is also in the process of setting up similar care centres in its major offices in the country.
 
“Our teams are working with our medical partners to accelerate the vaccination programme to cover our employees as early as possible. We are in discussion with health care providers as well as vaccine suppliers to help us in this endeavour,” an Infosys spokesperson said.
 
The firm has established vaccination centres for employees and their family members at some of its campuses across India, and has also collaborated with over 130 hospitals in India, where employees and their family members can get vaccinated.
 
In addition, it has tied up with Covid-testing labs nationwide, collaborated with emergency ambulance providers in every major city, and partnered 1,490 hospitals in 242 cities in India to enable treatment for its employees and their family members.
 
Covid-related medical treatments are covered under group employee insurance at Infosys. Employees who have contracted or recovering from Covid are given 21 days of additional paid leave by the company, and frequent safety checks are conducted while extending all support measures.
 
HCL Technologies will carry out vaccination on its premises.
 
“HCL Technologies will manage vaccination through its health care delivery arm HCL Healthcare. It is at work in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Chennai and is looking for approvals to begin vaccinating its workforce in other cities as well. We also encourage our people and their families to go through whatever channels that are available and the cost will be reimbursed by HCL,” said a spokesperson for HCL.
 
E-pharmacy chain PharmEasy aims to facilitate the vaccination of 30 million persons over the next few quarters with camps and centres for housing societies, old-age homes, and companies.
 
It claims to have received a soft commitment from 5 million individuals and 1,200 organisations for the drive. The firm will be partnering clinics and hospitals, who will be providing nurses and administrative staff.
 
“We are working actively with vaccine manufacturers and helping our partners procure vaccines or we will procure for them,” said Dhaval Shah, co-founder of PharmEasy.
 
It has warehouses in 30 cities in India and can arrange vaccination in all these cities. “There is no clarity regarding the supply of vaccine for the 18-45 age group. Things will be clear in 2-3 days, and we hope to start vaccination in mid-May. We are still working on pricing. The idea is not to make a profit but to recover costs,” Shah added.
 
Capgemini is providing its employees a virtual clinic (teleconsultation services) as part of the Capgemini L.I.F.E (Leading Inoculations for Family & Employees) programme, which addresses all queries related to vaccination.
 
NoBroker, a Bengaluru-based start-up that helps those looking to rent or buy an apartment connect directly with property owners, has launched an initiative to organise vaccination in the city, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR. It will be implementing this through its app.
 
Vaccination at the doorstep started with two societies in Bengaluru on April 24 and will continue through the coming months.
 
The vaccines will be administered by labs approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).