Ministry of Coal and Mines Asks MCL to Ramp Up COVID-19 Treatment Facilities

In Odisha, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, MCL, has been asked by the Ministry of Coal and Mines to further help ramp up COVID-19 treatment facilities. Responding to a letter by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for coal and mines Pralhad Joshi has said that the has instructed the MCL management to help set up temporary COVID health facilities in some places in Odisha identified by Mr Pradhan.

Earlier, Union Minister Mr Pradhan had requested the Union Minister for Coal and Mines Mr Joshi for his personal intervention in setting up of a temporary super speciality hospital with 150 oxygenated beds, ICU and ventilator facilities in Sambalpur in western Odisha. He had also



requested the Coal Minister for similar health facilities in the Vasundhara area of Sundargarh district, Brajrajnagar and Lakhanpur area of Jharsuguda district and at Talcher in Angul district of Odisha, which fall in the command area of MCL. In the letter, Mr. Pradhan had appreciated MCL's effort in spending a significant amount to the tune of over 140 crore rupees from out of its CSR fund to support COVID-19 related hospital facilities and health services in Odisha that  include a 1,200 bedded COVID Hospital in capital Bhubaneswar. Mr. Pradhan's request for support from MCL in augmenting COVID-19 facilities in Odisha comes in the wake of the second wave in the state which he described as an explosive surge.