Anand Mahindra Offers to Provide Ventilators, Opens up Resorts for Coronavirus Care Facility

With India reporting 341 positive cases of coronavirus on Sunday, many epidemiologists are of the opinion that India may just be entering the Stage three of transmission. Cases are likely to increase manifold in the coming months. And as the public health emergency threatens to hamper the country's healthcare system, businessman Anand Mahindra has come forward to provide aid to the medical fraternity.

Even as India observed a 14-hour "Janata Curfew", the Mahindra Group chairman took to Twitter and wrote that there was an immediate need to create "scores of temporary care facilities" to deal with the crisis as well as ensure there was no scarcity of ventilators. He further added that Mahindra Group will "immediately begin work on how our manufacturing facilities can make ventilators".

Mahindra also added Mahindra Holidays was ready to offer its resorts as temporary care facilities and that its Project team was ready to assist the government and/or the Army in building temporary facilities.

"The Mahindra Foundation will create a fund to assist the hardest hit in our value chain (small businesses & the self-employed)

—We will encourage associates to voluntarily contribute to the Fund. I will contribute 100% of my salary to it & will add more over the next few months. I urge all our various businesses to also set aside contributions for those who are the hardest hit in their ecosystem," Mahindra tweeted.

Mahindra's tweet comes after India lost another patient to COVID-19 with the death toll rising to six. India reported two more coronavirus deaths on Sunday, even as the railways announced suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 midnight to help check the spread of the virus. As per the health ministry, the total confirmed cases in India stood at 341.

Bihar also reported its first death due to COVID-19 on Sunday, as a man with a travel history to Qatar died at the AIIMS in Patna, hospital superintendent CM Singh said. Even as Indians observed self-isolation and social distance on Janata Curfew, Mahindra's tweet managed to bring cheer to social media.