Covid-19: Wipro’s Covid hospital earns good karma for the IT major

New Delhi: Wipro’s Covid hospital, which was set up last year when the pandemic hit India, is providing healthcare facilities to thousands in need amid the second wave of Covid-19 that is proving to be deadlier than the first one. 

The 450-bed hospital set up on its campus at Hinjewadi in Pune is providing medical facilities to many in the district. Established with the help of Zilla Parishad, the hospital has 150 oxygenated, ten ventilated and other ICU beds. 

Notably, the hospital run by a company with no expertise in healthcare has successfully treated thousands of Covid-19 patients in the past year. According to a report by Economic Times, only five patients have succumbed to Covid-19 inside the hospital. So far, over 4700 patients have been admitted to the hospital run by 15 doctors and 70 nurses. 

Ayush Prasad, Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) CEO, told ET, “People are willing to travel 100-odd kilometres to come to this hospital. We get calls from relatives of patients from nearby districts inquiring if there is a bed available at the Wipro Hospital. It’s not surprising; publicity for the hospital has been simply through word of mouth from patients who have been treated here. I even get calls from politicians who want a bed.” 

Notably, Wipro set up almost everything at this hospital, including hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, ICU equipment, among other basic facilities. Most importantly, everyone gets free treatment at the hospital. The hospital was set up after Wipro’s top official met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in 2020. 

Hariprasad Hegde, senior vice president and global head, operations, for Wipro Limited, said that they have been trying to do our bit to serve their community during the pandemic. “The idea was to not just set up a system but also see that the hospital is run well. We are aware of the goodwill, our effort is to ensure we keep doing the right thing consistently over a period,” he was quoted as saying.