New Delhi: State-run power behemoth NTPC has said that it has vaccinated over 70,000 of its employees, workers and their family members as part of an expansive COVID-19 vaccination drive carried out to inoculate the workforce involved in ensuring electricity supply to the country in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. In an official statement released on May 12, NTPC said that the massive COVID-19 vaccination drive has been carried out across plant locations, including the company's associates and their dependents, along with retired NTPC employees.
"NTPC Ltd, India's largest integrated energy company has inoculated over 70,000 of its employees, workers and their family members across its operations," it said. The vaccination drive was undertaken by NTPC across its stations in coordination with the respective state administrations.
NTPC said that its frontline workers, current and retired staff over 60 years and employees above 45 years have been vaccinated against COVID-19 on priority. It has also started vaccinating those who are eligible in the 18-44 years age category at its plant locations. The power utility said that it plans to cover all employees and their dependents under the vaccination drive, which is currently going on across 72 locations of NTPC, including JVs and subsidiaries.
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccination drive, NTPC has also constituted a task force at the central level and is operating 24×7 control rooms for better coordination for COVID-19 patients across sites. The task force also helps in coordination with hospitals for bed and other treatment facilities across various empanelled hospitals.
In the backdrop of a steep surge in COVID-19 infections, the Central government had asked state governments on April 27 to arrange a special vaccination drive to ensure that all power sector personnel, working in both private and public sector — generation, transmission and distribution utilities — are vaccinated. While noting that uninterrupted power supply is essential from the point of view of ensuring seamless public health service delivery and to allow people to avail services online, the Ministry of Power had said, "Therefore, it is imperative that the Power sector personnel, many of whom have to work in close proximity with each other and have public interfaces, remain protected from the infection, so that all three wings of power supply, namely generation, transmission and distribution are able to collectively provide 24×7 uninterrupted power supply." In line with the direction, various power PSUs have carried out vaccination drives for their employees and their families.
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