Automotive Axles, N.R. Group, ATME College of Engineering help Mysuru navigate Coronavirus crisis

Mysore/Mysuru: With Mysuru continuing to reel under the second wave of COVID-19 infections, corporate companies in the district are pitching in with relief efforts. The funding and relief efforts are focused on providing immediate medical relief to ease the pressure on medicines and life-saving oxygenated beds availability and healthcare infrastructure.

Automotive Axles-Meritor HVS India (P) Ltd. has come forward to take over one entire floor of the District Hospital on KRS Road and convert it into an advanced ICU care facility by donating over 100 hi-tech beds at an estimated cost of about Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 2.5 crore. These beds would be operational in the next two weeks. 

Of the 100 beds, 16 will be with ventilator support and the rest will be oxygenated beds and some will be normal hospital beds. “We are taking over the responsibility of filling up one floor as ICU facility at the District Hospital and the beds will be distributed with added equipment in coordination with the Mysuru District Administration and the Health Department,” President and Executive Director of Meritor HVS India Dr. N. Muthukumar told Star of Mysore. 

“We want to donate the best of the facilities and help Mysuru to emerge victorious in the COVID battle. Normally, the Government is blamed for not creating medical infrastructure. We are determined to support Mysuru through this unprecedented health crisis as it is our responsibility to give back to the society where we have flourished,” he said. 

Managing Director and CEO, Meritor India and Automotive Axles Napanda P. Thimmaiah said that apart from converting one floor of the District Hospital as ICU facility, the company is also vaccinating en-masse. “We want to vaccinate as much people as we can and we have started the process. Company employees, their families and also general public are benefiting from the initiative whenever vaccine stocks are available. We are also planning to donate a mobile medical van and this will cost Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 1.5 crore,” he explained. 

The mobile medical van will be donated through Rotary Club and will have facilities like telemedicine consultation with specialists, digital radiography, X-Ray unit, ECG and blood testing units. 

Dr. Muthukumar said that Automotive Axles-Meritor HVS India has done many environmentally-beneficial projects to keep Mysuru clean and green. “This time we have decided to quickly provide the much-needed medical equipment and build capacity to enable the Government to provide care for those affected and support for healthcare professionals tirelessly working to save lives,” he added. 

Ventilators and beds

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, N.R. Group, the makers of Cycle Pure Agarbathies, is donating ventilators costing Rs. 8 lakh, 100 beds costing Rs. 15,000 each, medicines and other equipment to K.R. Hospital and as per the requirement of the District Administration. The estimated cost of the donations so far is Rs. 30 lakh and the Group is ready to make more contributions in the form of donating oxygen concentrators and other equipment.

“We are in touch with the District Administration and have funded medicine procurement worth about Rs. 12 lakh and also, we are fulfilling the bed requirement stage by stage. It is just not about donating beds as we have to contact manufacturers and suppliers so that procurements are made as per the requirement of the administration,” Managing Partner of N.R. Group Arjun Ranga said. 

The Group is helping Mysuru in its war against the pandemic and has come forward to donate oxygen concentrators. “We are there to extend support and we are continuing the philanthropy efforts to help boost health infrastructure in the time of crisis,” he added. 

Semi-fowler beds

City-based ATME College of Engineering has extended its helping hand to the district authorities by donating 75 semi-fowler beds worth Rs.10.18 lakh to take care of COVID-19 patients. 

“We are deeply moved by the suffering of patients in the recent times to get proper healthcare. Sensing the overburdening of the health infrastructure, we decided to make a small contribution. The Mysuru District Administration gave a call to industrialists and philanthropists to join hands in strengthening healthcare and we rose to the occasion and contributed,” said L. Arun Kumar, Chairman of ATME College of Engineering. 

ATME Charitable Trust, which manages ATME College of Engineering, is a philanthropic organisation involved in many humanitarian, benevolent and socially responsible activities, he added.