NTPC airlifts seriously-ill COVID-infected employees

The NTPC has airlifted a dozen employees to Hyderabad, other places for better treatment.

At a time when even the affluent sections are finding it difficult to get the best tertiary health-care facilities and hankering for super specialty hospital beds amid the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, the public sector power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited is proving to be an angel to its severely-infected employees by providing the best possible treatment.

The simple fact that the Maharatna company has airlifted a dozen of its novel coronavirus infected employees including a couple of dependents from across the country to Hyderabad and other places during the last one month and admitted them in corporate hospitals for better treatment indicates its commitment to the welfare of its workforce.

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“It needs more than a best HR (human resource) policy to support the staff battling the dreaded virus infection. The company has spent about ₹1.75 on the airlifting of a dozen employees or their dependents, besides meeting the hefty hospital bills for their super specialty treatment. It also needs a dedicated teamwork and liaisoning to get the things done”, a senior officer involved the exercise but preferring to be anonymous told The Hindu.

Admitting that getting hospital beds in the critical-care hospitals during the surge in COVID-19 cases was tough task not only to individuals but also to the major corporate companies such as NTPC, the authorities stated that even arranging the air-ambulance to airlift the critically-ill patients was also a huge task since only a handful of agencies were providing the service.

“NTPC has always believed in putting its people before PLF (plant load factor of its power generating stations). We have been working on war-footing during the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 to ensure the best of medical help and facilities reach to each of our needy employee. Providing air-ambulance is an extension of facilities we have arranged for the critical patients and it has save several lives”, says M.S.D. Bhattamishra, Executive Director (HR), Corporate Office.

The NTPC has airlifted five COVID-19 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, two are still undergoing treatment and one succumbed to the infection.

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.

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