KORBA (Chhattisgarh): Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer is playing a crucial role in the prevention of various diseases, especially Covid-19 in the rural regions of the state through its ‘Vedanta Rural Hospital’. Under BALCO’s CSR project ‘Arogya’, hospitals have been established in the villages of Chuhiya & Parsabhata located in the Korba region.
During 2020-21, more than 22000 villagers were benefitted through the various medical facilities provided by the Arogya Project. Through these hospitals, free medicines are being distributed to the villagers, awareness campaign on the pandemic and health consultation are being provided by the medical teams.
The aim of establishing Vedanta rural hospitals is to spread health awareness amongst the masses. BALCO has been instrumental in changing lives through this campaign. Vedanta Rural Hospital has come out as a ray of hope for around 60,000 citizens living in the vicinity of the plant. One of the major achievements of Vedanta rural hospitals has been that villagers now have proper access to doctors and medicines. These hospitals are playing a major role in spreading awareness about COVID-19 and its prevention. The villagers have been familiarized with social distancing, the importance of frequent hand washing, and use of sanitizers.
Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director BALCO said, “In the current challenging times of the pandemic citizens must take care of themselves and the health of their family members. BALCO has witnessed unprecedented success in the implementation of the Arogya Project and is proud that the project is adhering to the goals of community health. Villagers are now aware of maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in their surroundings. Vedanta Rural Hospitals are now providing information related to the prevention of the coronavirus. BALCO is to extend all possible help to the villagers in the prevention of Covid-19.”
The villagers have access to first aid and hospital services within their villages, which saves them time and from the inconvenience of commuting to BALCO or Korba. The Vedanta rural hospitals have also been the tools to serve national campaigns such as those for vaccinations and maternal and child health protection. In coordination with the District health department, Vedanta rural hospitals is running awareness programs for Tuberculosis and HIV Aids also. These hospitals are also equipped with pathology labs to check for malaria and other diseases.
Shivraj Singh, Sarpanch, Village Chuiya, shared that BALCO is making a commendable contribution towards the availability of medical facilities in the villages. Presently, the villagers are receiving help through the rescue and awareness programs run by the rural hospital. He also added that the hospitals provide information regarding seasonal diseases, health camps are a big part of the project which is diligently set up by the hospital and the villagers are happy to have a medical facility in their village.
Anjali Markam and Ms. Peela Bai of village Chuiya share that they are happy to get all the necessary medicines through the Vedanta Rural Hospital. They are pleased that the villagers do not have to wait for local transport to reach hospital, also children and expectant mothers get vaccinated on time. Health care counselling is also available from the doctors at no cost.
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is India’s iconic aluminium producer. It is owned 49% by the Government of India and 51% by Vedanta Limited. Vedanta Limited is the world’s 6th largest diversified natural resources company and the largest producer of aluminium in India. BALCO operates a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is also a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelter and power plants, the company fulfills its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
