Anand Mahindra offers to make ventilators, temporary care facilities to tackle COVID-19

Indian business tycoon Anand Mahindra has offered to help the authorities fight the novel coronavirus outbreak. In a series of tweets posted on March 22, Anand said that the Mahindra group will immediately begin work on its manufacturing facilities so they can make ventilators to help respond to the pandemic. Anand in his post added that keeping in mind the scarcity of hospitals, Mahindra holiday resorts can be transformed into temporary health care facilities. 

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Anand Mahindra further said that the projects team at Mahindra stands ready to assist the government and the Army in erecting temporary care facilities. The businessman also promised to contribute 100 per cent of his salary and urged various businesses to set aside contributions for those who are the most affected in their ecosystem. According to Anand, the Mahindra foundation will create a fund to assist the hardest hit in India's value chain, like small businesses and self-employed. 

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Meanwhile, India's richest man Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd. has said that the company will ramp up its face masks production to 1,00,000 per day and Reliance gas stations will offer free fuel to emergency vehicles carrying COVID-19 patients. RIL also said that it will provide free meals in various cities to those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.  

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Coronavirus outbreak

The COVID-19 has claimed more than 16,500 lives across the world and has infected nearly 3,81,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world as experts believe that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.  

Italy, Iran, and Spain are the most affected countries outside mainland China, where, as of March 23 the combined death toll stands at 10,200. Italy has surpassed China to record the most number of deaths in the world due to the virus outbreak, while Iran and Spain both have crossed the 1,500 mark.

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