PVR offers care package to staff amid second COVID wave

Film exhibitor PVR has launched a holistic care package to help its employees deal with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm has announced that it will provide free COVID-19 vaccination to all its employees and their dependents. It had also announced multiple employee well-being initiatives over the last year in order to support its workforce during these difficult times.

PVR's care package to its employees will entail COVID-19 SOS medicines, vaccine registrations, 24x7 COVID helpline with an on-ground response team, plasma database, oxygen concentrators, doctor on call assistance, hospitalisation and ambulance services, and food deliveries for COVID-19 tested employees. "PVR assures full support to its 10,000 employees including their dependents across locations in 70 cities in India," read a PVR press release.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director said, "As an employee-first organisation, this pandemic's impact on the lives of our employees and their families is a personal crisis more than anything. Health and safety of our employees is of utmost priority, and therefore, we introduced the comprehensive employee support care package with free vaccine for all employees and their dependents.  With government's focus on nationwide vaccination, conditions will improve certainly and being direct service providers, we need to ensure complete safety of the customers along with the employees. On immediate priority we are extending medical, logistical and financial support with an on-ground COVID response team at local levels."

"PVR Juhu has become the first cinema with 100 per cent staff being vaccinated. The need of the hour is "Empathy" and to stand with your employees, interact with them on a regular basis, make set-ups to bring the organisation together and uplift team spirit. Staying optimistic, giving hope and pragmatic in actions has been the basis of the strong foundation between the management and our people," he further added.

Each module in PVR's care package has specific protocols attached to it in order to ensure timely service  Operations comprise of a round-the-clock call centre run by an on-ground COVID-19 response team at the local level. Cinema managers or duty managers are empowered with adequate resources. Regional directors and regional managers oversee the operation at clusters or zones.

In order to contribute towards COVID-19 relief, PVR has collaborated with ZIQITZA for ambulance services and LYBRATE for doctor on call.

Details of PVR's employee support programme are as follows:

1. Registration for COVID-19 vaccine: The firm's Regional Manager Operations combines the regional data on COVID-19 vaccination and updates the all-India database so that when employees connect with the round-the-clock call centre they are provided assistance on how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine via the CoWIN portal. PVR will reimburse the vaccination cost aims to ensure that 100 per cent of its staff fully vaccinated along with their dependents.
2. Oxygen Concentrators (OCs): Across 10 cities, PVR provides assistance in procuring oxygen concentrators for employees who need them. These include Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Delhi and Chandigarh. For this, the employees need to inform the call centre and submit a doctor's prescription of home quarantine and the reason for taking the OC. Employees will be allowed to use the OC for a maximum of three days.
3. Medicine Bank: PVR's local COVID-19 Response Team (CTR) procures COVID-19 medicines in order to help its employees find crucial medicine in their cities. CTR provides medicines to PVR employees across 70 cities.
4. Food Supply Assistance: PVR helps its employees in getting food delivered to COVID positive family members across 70 cities. In order to avail this service, PVR employees need to connect with the call centre. The call centre will then identify the nearest food provider and make arrangements to get home-cooked food delivered to the patient's location.
5. Doctor on Call 24x7: PVR employees are provided assistance in connecting with a doctor at all times of the day. To avail this, the employee needs to connect with the call centre and a unique FOC ID code is given to the PVR employee. This is to ensure the connection between the PVR employee and the doctor using the 'Lybrate' app.
6. Database on Plasma Donors: PVR also helps its employees find plasma donors for COVID-19 treatment. The call centre retrieves a list of plasma donors prepared by the HR department of PVR on a weekly basis. The call centre then gives the list to the PVR employee seeking a plasma donor.
7. Assistance for Hospitalisation & Ambulance Services: PVR employees are provided access to emergency healthcare services including round-the-clock ambulance through 'Ziqitza' and other hospitalisation services nationally.  To avail the same, the employee needs to connect with the local CRT.

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