Businessman Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd will bear the cost of vaccinating its employees and their immediate family, totalling an estimated 12.2 lakh, as the oil-to-telecom conglomerate looks to safeguard them against the COVID-19 virus.
Nita Ambani, non-executive director, Reliance Industries and chairperson of Reliance Foundation during an internal communication to all the employees said, "As per our earlier commitment, Reliance will bear the full cost of vaccination for you, your spouse, your parents, and vaccine-eligible-aged children. You and your family's safety and well-being is our responsibility.”
The company has made deals with specific hospitals to inoculate its employees at the place where they are assigned. The vaccination drive will cover all employees of the company's oil and chemical division, retail unit and telecom venture Jio, their associates, and their registered dependents.
"Mukesh and I truly believe that cherishing the health and happiness of our loved ones is what it means to be part of a family - the Reliance Family," she wrote, further urging vaccine eligible employees to register quickly for the vaccination and assured that the firm continues to prioritizes employees safety first.
She further added that "In our Reliance Family Day 2020 message, Mukesh and I personally assured you that as soon as any approved COVID-19 vaccine is available in India, we will do our best to plan early vaccination for all Reliance employees and family members.”
On March 1, the government began the Phase-II of the inoculation drive, allowing people older than 60 years and those above 45 years with specific health conditions to be vaccinated. It has asked private hospitals serving as vaccination centres to charge Rs 250 per dose of a vaccine.