Anando Sangbad Live: Uber today offered free rides worth INR 75 lakhs to the West Bengal Government for emergency services through its UberMedic service, which will transport frontline healthcare workers, government officials on COVID-19 related duties, and support other essential requirements.
As part of its offer Uber has partnered with the Health Department government to deploy 70 UberMedic cars, free of charge to transport doctors, nurses and frontline healthcare workers in 11 hospitals across Kolkata and Howrah. Some of the hospitals include ID&BG Hospital Beliaghata, Medical College & Hospital Kolkata, Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College & Hospital, R G KAR Medical College & Hospital, among others.
Free rides to support the West Bengal Government is part of Uber’s global commitment, recently announced by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, to provide 10 million rides and food deliveries free of charge to healthcare workers, seniors, and people in need.
Sharing details about the association, Prabhjeet Singh, Director, Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia, said, “The West Bengal Government has been working tirelessly to contain the spread of COVID-19. We feel privileged to be supporting them in these challenging times and will help move what matters by leveraging our global experience, technology and network of drivers.”
All the UberMedic cars being provided to the West Bengal government are being fitted with a roof-to-floor plastic sheeting enclosing the driver, thereby limiting contact with the rider. Additionally, to maintain safety and hygiene standards, while moving what matters, all drivers are being trained in safety procedures and being provided with personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, sanitizers and disinfectants to sanitize the cars between rides.
Uber’s recently launched UberMedic service is already facilitating the provision of transporting frontline medical workers in 35+ hospitals across 23 Indian cities.