Maharashtra’s Minister of State, Information Technology, Home, Transport and Parliamentary Affairs, Satej Patil have dedicated a 100-bed COVID care facility set up and supported by Cognizant Foundation, the CSR arm of the IT services major, and operationalized by Ekam Foundation to the state.

Located at Mahalunge, Pune, the COVID care facility offers 100 oxygen beds, patient monitors and defibrillators to help provide lifesaving care to underserved communities through INR 92 lakh in relief funding by the Foundation. 

The project is part of ­Operation C3 — Cognizant’s COVID-19 rapid response program to combat the pandemic — which is aimed at protecting the health and safety of its associates, their families, and extends to vulnerable communities. As part of its national relief efforts for vulnerable communities, the company has to date mobilized 1000 oxygenated beds, ventilators, and vaccinations through INR 60 crores in COVID relief funding across the country.   

“Since May 2020, during the first and second COVID wave, Cognizant has made critical care and relief measures accessible to vulnerable communities through its consistent support. Mitigating the deadly impact of COVID-19 through robust medical infrastructure and access to critical care services is the state’s top priority. Cognizant has also played a crucial role by providing relief measures like 1.5 lakh PPE kits, pulse oximeters and blood pressure monitors to 22 government hospitals and three police departments across the state,” said Satej Patil, Minister of State, Information Technology, Home, Transport & Parliamentary Affairs, Maharashtra.

Cognizant has also been working with NGOs across the state to deliver grocery kits and meals for people displaced by the pandemic. To date, over 13,000 grocery kits and 5,000 meal packages have been distributed to people in need. Additionally, as part of its nationwide efforts to ensure the education of underprivileged children is not interrupted, Cognizant has donated over 900 computers and devices to Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and sponsored scholarships for 150 students.  

“The Maharashtra government has been our support partner since the beginning of the pandemic. Our partnership has enabled us to serve the critical needs of our customers while protecting vulnerable communities. As a company with a strong social purpose, we are proud to support with COVID care beds in addition to the several community care program that our Foundation and Cognizant outreach volunteers are running on the ground,” said Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman & MD, Cognizant India and Chairman, Cognizant Foundation.

The Mahalunge COVID care facility caters to patients from Mahalunge and Chandoli as well as from 10 Primary Health Centres and other government hospitals in Khed Taluka. The facility is linked to the dedicated COVID hospitals — Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, Aundh Civil Hospital, Jumbo Hospital, and Sassoon General Hospital — for managing patients who need critical care.

Cognizant India, with its more than 210,000 professionals across twelve cities in India, is among the top 3 private employers in India.  The leading IT major has over 28,000 employees in the state with about 4,500 in Mumbai and over 23,000 in Pune, and hired thousands of fresh graduates straight out of colleges and universities in the state.