MUMBAI:
With public-private partnership becoming a buzzword for large scale roll out of COVID-19 vaccination programme, Raymond Limited as part of its social initiative today collaborated with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to run a three-day COVID-19 vaccination drive in Worli, South Mumbai.
The vaccination drive was inaugurated by Maharashtra Environment and Tourism Minister and Guardian Minister, Mumbai Aditya Thackeray and Gautam Hari Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director Raymond Limited.
The vaccination drive in Worli aims to cover women, slum-dwellers and taxi drivers of the area. Speaking on the occasion, Gautam Hari Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, Raymond Limited said, “I am glad that Raymond true to its core philosophy of giving back to the society is
actively participating in the vaccination drive across the country. Rapid and mass vaccination is the recommended and available weapon to gain immunity and reduce mortality rate. So far, we have partnered with local municipal bodies, hospitals and have ensured large-scale vaccination. During such unprecedented times, private sector can join hands with the public sector and can play a major role. I am sure Raymond’s role will be emulated by others which will not only help our countrymen get protection against the virus but assist in swifter economic recovery too”.
Since last two months, Raymond has been partnering with Thane Municipal Corporation and Jupiter Hospital in the city to vaccinate local residents. Thousands of people in Thane have been benefitted through this drive. As a responsible corporate citizen Raymond Limited has been actively involved with the vaccination drive. Through its social initiative programme, the company has vaccinated lakhs of employees and their immediate family members and local residents in cities such as Vapi, Kolhapur, Jalgaon, Chhindwara, Yavatmal, Aurangabad, Amravati and Bengaluru—where it has its manufacturing facilities.
Raymond has also ensured that nearly 84 per cent of the staff across various retail stores in the country is vaccinated. Approximately close to 80 per cent of its total workforce is vaccinated. Raymond has one of the largest exclusive retail networks in the country with around 1,500 stores in more than 600 towns.
The massive scale of vaccination in the country has necessitated participation of private sector in the drive with business leaders saying that private-public partnership can help immunise 500 million citizens. Such collaborative efforts can augment physical and human infrastructure and technology capabilities for rolling out the vaccination programme.