Matter of pride that coal and mines PSUs extending best possible support in fighting COVID-19: Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday praised the coal and mines public sector units (PSUs) in the country for standing by the state governments in the battle against COVID-19.

According to a release, the National Aluminum Company (NALCO) and Coal India subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) will fully fund two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Odisha inaugurated by Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha along with Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi through Video Conferencing today. The hospitals started by the Government of Odisha will be run with the help of different medical hospitals of the state.

"It is a matter of pride that PSUs of Coal and Mines Ministries have extended their best possible support to the State governments in fighting COVID-19. These hospitals with all COVID-19 related facilities will be a great help to the people of Odisha," Joshi said.

While NALCO will fund a 200-bedded hospital set up in Nabarangpur district of Odisha, MCL will fund the 150-bedded hospital at Talcher in Angul district of the state. MCL has also provided its medical college infrastructure for setting up the hospital.

Apart from this, NALCO employees have contributed their one-day salary amounting to Rs 2.5 crore to Odisha CM's Relief Fund.

MCL is already funding a dedicated 500-bedded COVID-19 Hospital at Bhubaneswar started by the Odisha government recently. This Coal India arm has also established over 50 beds isolation center in Jharsuguda district of Odisha.

( With inputs from ANI )