Reliance boosts production of face masks to one lakh per day

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) said on Monday it is enhancing its capacities to produce one lakh face masks per day and a large number of personal protective equipment like suits and garments for the country's health workers to equip them further to fight the coronavirus challenge.

India's largest private sector company said it has already initiated a multi-pronged prevention, mitigation and ongoing support strategy that is comprehensive, sustainable and resilient.

RIL has deployed the combined strengths of Reliance Foundation, Reliance Retail, Jio, Reliance Life Sciences, Reliance Industries and all the six lakh members of the Reliance Family on this action plan against COVID-19.

In a short time-span of just two weeks, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up a dedicated 100-bed centre at Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai for patients who test positive for COVID-19.

This first-of-its-kind-in-India centre is fully funded by Reliance Foundation and includes a negative pressure room that helps in preventing cross-contamination and helps control infection.

All beds are equipped with the required infrastructure, bio-medical equipment such as ventilators, pacemakers, dialysis machine and patient monitoring devices.

Reliance Foundation will provide free meals to people across various cities in partnership with NGOs to offer necessary livelihood relief in the current crisis situation.

RIL has built a fully-equipped isolation facility at Lodhivali in Maharashtra and handed it over to the district authorities.

Reliance Life Sciences is importing additional test kits and consumables for effective testing. "Our doctors and researchers are also working overtime to find a cure for this deadly virus," it said in a statement.

RIL has announced an initial support of Rs five crore to Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Reliance will provide free fuel for all emergency service vehicles used to transport COVID-19 patients to and from quarantine and isolation facilities.

All 736 grocery stores of Reliance Retail across the country will ensure sufficient supply of essentials, including staples, fruits and vegetables, bread, breakfast cereals and other items of daily use so that citizens need not stock up.