Mumbai, Jan 31 (PTI) SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) and DHL Express India have joined hands to vaccinate truck drivers across the country, for safeguarding the community that has been at the forefront of delivering essential goods and services during the pandemic, according to a statement.
Under the partnership, DHL Express India is supporting the initiative to vaccinate 3,000 truck drivers by funding vaccine doses and the end-to-end expenses of setting up a vaccination camp, it stated.
A Delhi-based NGO, SaveLIFE Foundation is focused on improving road safety and emergency medical care across the country.
Truck drivers form the backbone of the logistics sector. While they are the most important stakeholder in ensuring smooth transportation of goods over long distances, they continue to remain vulnerable due to the fragmented and informal nature of the trucking industry, SaveLife Foundation said.
It said that as much as 75 per cent of the drivers are getting their second dose and this drive will ensure that they are at minimal risk, it said adding that the initiative is being implemented through Humsafer, an organisation working with truck drivers.
The drive is being conducted in a phased manner, where around 1,500 truck drivers were given COVID-19 vaccination as part of the first phase held in December 2021.
In the next phase, which will start in February, drivers from 15 states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal will be vaccinated, the statement said.
“We all need to work together, both now and in the future to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline workers, including truck drivers, play a critical role in the delivery of goods, and keeping them safe is of utmost priority.
“We are happy to support such initiatives and contribute to the communities we serve,” R S Subramanian, senior vice-president and managing director of DHL Express India, said.
SaveLIFE Foundation founder CEO Piyush Tewari said, “Truck drivers spend most of their time on the road that makes them vulnerable to the virus and its evolving variants. We remain grateful to DHL Express India for their continued support to this initiative.” PTI IAS HRS hrs
