FCA Lends In A Helping Hand In The Fight Against The COVID19 Pandemic
FCA India has pledged financial aid of nearly INR 2 crore towards supply of medical kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), dry food, hygiene essentials and hospitalization for those most in need in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. Specifically, FCA India Engineering has partnered with not-for-profit organisations, Sevalaya in Chennai and United Way Mumbai for distribution of ‘Family Kits’ to 1500 families in the two cities.
A Family Kit, sufficient for a family of 4-5 individuals, comprises dry food, personal hygiene essentials (including toothpaste, soap and hand wash) and PPE. FCA India Engineering has also collaborated with Voluntary Health Services (VHS), a non-profit hospital trust in Chennai as well as Naidu Hospital, run by Pune Municipal Corporation and which specializes in treating patients with infectious diseases.
A 42-bed COVID isolation ward in VHS will be supplied with medical equipment, and Naidu Hospital will be supplied with air validation systems and a medical oxygen pipeline necessary for treating infected patients. In addition to the financial aid, FCA India’s employees have voluntarily contributed a portion of their salaries towards alleviating the lives of the needy. These funds will also be used towards donating food grains, PPE and hospitalization of affected families and individuals. Jeep communities in India have volunteered in relief camps, donated money, food, and clothing to the poor.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Partha Datta – President and Managing Director, FCA India said, “While a much-needed strategy is being put in place to restart economic activity by reopening various industries, large sections of the community are still displaced and are in need of basic necessities and proper medical treatment to survive the next couple of months. Our initiative is aimed at helping people tide over these difficult circumstances as critical steps are being taken to flatten the curve as quickly as possible. I am also incredibly proud that our employees have generously contributed a portion of their salary to help in the relief efforts.”
Globally, FCA has taken many initiatives in many countries that it operates in. In order to support global PPE requirements, including India, FCA has converted two lines at its Comau manufacturing facility in China to produce 1 million facemasks per month. In the US, meals were provided to one million school age children in communities around FCA’s plants in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.
The meal program was extended to children across the United States, Canada and Mexico. In Brazil, FCA converted its leisure and sports club in Betim into a 200-bed field hospital for COVID-19 affected patients, in just one week. This hospital includes infirmary, Intensive Care Units (ICU) and recovery units and houses a cafeteria and resting rooms for the medical staff that is treating patients round the clock. In China and Italy, FCA has donated vehicles that can support frontline workers and has provided and facilitated supply medical and much needed PPE in many markets across the world experiencing shortages.
