Apollo Speciality Hospitals in Vanagaram, Chennai, was among the first private sector hospitals in India that volunteered to be a dedicated Covid-19 centre. This decision required considerable changes in the facilities and operations. Since April, almost 2,000 patients have been treated here. Initially, there was anxiety, but the dedication of the members of the Apollo family and the corona warriors across the country has been inspiring and humbling. Also, it is commendable that despite several hardships that private sector hospitals have been facing with regard to staffing and finances, they have been standing firmly with the country in battling Covid-19.
With respect to a vaccine for Covid-19, the Apollo group is prepared to administer one million vaccines daily to augment and support the government efforts. We have been strengthening our vaccine cold chain, and 10,000 professionals across our pharmacies and clinics have been trained to administer the vaccine. Covid-19 is not the first epidemic that we have handled and it certainly will not be the last. We will keep on investing in making Apollo a much more caring, efficacious, resilient and future-ready organisation.
-Reddy is vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and president of NATHEALTH.