The notoriously infectious novel CoronaVirus / COVID-19 has affected nearly 9.5 lakh people in India with 331,146 cases still active with 612,814 cured/discharged and nearly 25,000 deaths. As a relief initiative, Hero MotoCorp has custom-built a unique first-responder ambulance based on the Hero Xtreme 200R that has been attached with a sidecar designed and developed at the brand’s Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur and the New Model Centre (NMC) at Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing facility in Gurgaon.
As part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Hero MotoCorp has handed over two such first-responder vehicles to authorities at the Community Health Centres in Neemrana and Mundawar, in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. The compact ultra utilitarian first-responder vehicles will help health workers to reach patients in rural and remote areas which can be transported to the nearest hospitals with ease on the full-stretcher mounted on its sidecar.
The Hero Xtreme 200R based first-responder ambulances have been custom-built with a sidecar mounted full stretcher that comes with a foldable hood and can accommodate a patient in sleeping position. The unique ambulance also features essential medical equipment such as a detachable first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, fire extinguisher, a siren, LED flashers, foldable beacon light and a public announcement system.
Hero MotoCorp is in the process of producing more of these ultra utilitarian three-wheeled ambulances that can be deployed especially in rural areas to quickly transport patients from remote areas to hospitals where they can receive extensive treatment.
In the recent past, Hero MotoCorp also committed a corpus of INR 100 Crore out of which INR 50 crores go to the PM Care fund and the other INR 50 crore are being spent on various relief endeavours. Hero MotoCorp has been distributing more than 15,000 meals every day to homeless families, stranded labourers and daily wage workers in several COVID-19 affected areas of Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
COVID-19 can be avoided through social distancing and by practising hygiene and it is important to regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Use a face mask when in public, avoid touching your face, eyes nose, follow good respiratory hygiene such as covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. It is also important to regularly monitor yourself for symptoms and get in touch with health care personnel in case you have fever, cough, cold etc.
*COVID-19 Statistical data as per MoHFW & National Informatics Centre (GOVT. OF INDIA) as on : 16th July 2020, 08:00 IST (GMT+5:30)