Taj Hotels are being used as quarantines centres in many cities (File)
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), a subsidiary of the Tata Group, said it will continue to provide meals to health workers in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi for another month. IHCL has been giving food to doctors and other medical staff since the coronavirus lockdown that started on March 25.
"As the country began its fight against the pandemic, the medical community quickly came to the fore as the true heroes of the crisis. With the resultant lockdown, IHCL committed itself to providing meals for doctors, healthcare workers and migrant workers," Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO of IHCL, said in a statement.
The group has distributed 1.6 million meals till date, he said.
Praising the efforts of medical workers in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Chhatwal said, "We are deeply grateful to the medical community for their sacrifice and dedication during these challenging times."
The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust, set up in 2008, is distributing meals to medical staff at key hospitals and COVID-19 centres in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. The company has partnered with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor for this.
In Mumbai, IHCL in close association with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), provides over 10,000 meals a day to hospital staff at Kasturba Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Nair Hospital and JJ Hospital .
The group delivered 5,90,000 meals till today in Mumbai alone while over 17,000 meals have been delivered in Bengaluru so far, Puneet Chhatwal said, adding, over 1,91,000 meals have been delivered in Delhi.
In addition to providing food, 11 IHCL hotels across the country are offering rooms to doctors and health staff while 38 others are being used as quarantine centres. These hotels are accommodating those who are returning to India on repatriation flights, Mr Chhatwal said.