Abu Dhabi: A Indian hospital group in the United Arab Emirates announced it will rebuild the lives of the family members of its medics that lost the COVID-19 battle by providing them with financial support for ten years.
Aster DM Healthcare is one of the larger healthcare service providers operating in India and the Middle East.
The company operates 27 hospitals, 115 clinics and 225 pharmacies with more than 21,000 employees. These include more than 2,880 doctors, 6,280 nurses, and nearly 11,000 support staff.
5,150 employees of its more than 20,000-strong workforce have been affected by COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, five have succumbed to COVID-19.
“Our dedicated staff has been the true heroes in this fight against COVID-19, who put the needs of the patients ahead of their own lives,” the company’s founder chairman and managing director Dr Azad Moopen told the National News.
The NSE-listed company said in a statement that most of them have recovered and have resumed work, but five of the infected employees have succumbed to COVID-19 so far.
“They left behind, unfortunately, young families with wives, children and elderly fathers. Many of those who died were the sole breadwinners for their families,” said Moopen.
The company said that their families will now be supported with a 10-year financial plan to help ease the pain of losing a loved one and the income they provided.
The initiative will also provide assistance to employees who are currently suffering from serious complications caused by the virus.
It is applicable to all Aster DM Healthcare employees in India and GCC countries.
Many private companies have rushed to support their employees amid the second wave of the pandemic. The prevalence has also forced companies to devise a multi-pronged approach to helping employees, including providing financial assistance.