Cognizant Contributes Approximately USD 90,000 to Set Up 70-Bed Treatment Center and Provide N95 PPE Kits to Health Workers in Ernakulam District in Kerala, India

ERNAKULAM, India ― Nov. 7, 2020 ― A COVID-19 treatment center, set up with funding support from Cognizant, was inaugurated today in Mulanthuruthy, Ernakulam, by Mr. Hibi Eden, Member of Parliament from Ernakulam, and Mr. S Suhas, District Collector, Ernakulam.

Cognizant joined hands with Round Table India for the initiative, and contributed more than INR 42 lakhs (USD 56,000) towards medical equipment at the exclusive 70-bed second-line treatment center that will attend to COVID-19 patients with more severe medical conditions and symptoms, including fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. Staffed by doctors and healthcare staff experienced in ICU treatment, the center will have an ICU ambulance to move critically ill patients in emergency situations.

In addition, Cognizant contributed more than INR 25 lakhs (USD 33,000) to provide 5,200 N95 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits that will guard more than 1,500 health workers in the district from the risk of contracting the infection as they serve on the frontlines of the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Round Table India worked closely with government officials to organize the kits and facilitate their distribution across COVID-19 centers in the district.

"This initiative by Cognizant and Round Table India during these unprecedented times is highly commendable and appreciated,” said Mr. Hibi Edin.

“I thank Cognizant and Round Table India for their kind gesture of upgrading the Mulamthuruthy Domiciliary Care Center into a second line treatment center,” said Mr. S. Suhas.

“At Cognizant, we have a long history of contributing to the health and well-being of communities within which we live and operate,” said Joseph Korah, Global Head of Delivery, Cognizant Salesforce Practice and Head of Cognizant Kochi Development Center. “We are proud to be a part of these important initiatives to provide crucial treatment to people afflicted by the coronavirus, while also equipping dedicated doctors, nurses and other personnel with PPE in support of their valiant response to the outbreak. Through these unprecedented times of a global pandemic, our focus has been on helping communities contain the impact of the pandemic and enabling them to overcome the crisis with timely medical help. We’d like to thank and congratulate Ernakulam health authorities and our implementation partner Round Table India for their support in these initiatives, which are great examples of how public-private participation can rise up to even the most daunting of social emergencies.”

“These initiatives mark a great step forward in enabling timely treatment of COVID-19 patients as well as making it safer for health workers to carry on their fight against the virus,” said Dr. Atul Manuel, Medical Officer from the Palliative Care Department of the Ernakulam General Hospital, who is currently in charge of COVID-19 related programs in Ernakulam. “We are pleased that Cognizant and Round Table India promptly volunteered to support these crucial initiatives and the Ernakulam District Administration facilitated them.”

For more information, please write to harsh.kabra@cognizant.com.