COVID-19: India Post delivering life-saving drugs in remote areas, pensions at doorstep

By Sahil Pandey
New Delhi [India], Apr 17 (ANI): Amid the challenges posed by coronavirus , India Post is making efforts to provide relief to people by delivering life-saving drugs to patients living in remote areas and providing pension and social security benefits through Aadhar-enabled payment system.
"We have taken initiative in two areas - making cash available to the needy people in the villages and remote areas through our Aadhaar-enabled payment system where we deliver cash to the pensioners and other social security beneficiaries at their doorstep," Ajay Kumar Roy, Deputy Director-General, Mail Operations, told ANI.
He said financial services are also being given to those people who have an account in other banks and are not able to go to the bank to withdraw their money.
"We are also working in for making available essential goods such as medicines and medical equipment all over the country to individuals, hospitals, research centres right from March 24," he said.
Indian postal service has moved several consignments like ventilators and life-saving medicines and each postal circle has a nodal officer appointed to look after the process.
"Most of these goods are sent by speed post. We are utilising the cargo flights available and we have also taken the assistance of India Air Force. We are taking help of lifeline flights which are managed by Ministry of Civil Aviation. We are utilising our own departmental red motor vans throughout the country, "he said.
On the hygiene front, the Indian postal service is adhering to the guidelines issued by calling staff on a rotation basis, sanitising offices and wearing masks.
On the humanitarian front, the Postal Department is also providing groceries and food packets to needy and migrants workers by using their own resources and funding.
"In all our circles we are providing groceries and food packets to the needy. And all these initiatives are being done through by our resources and funding. And it is happening daily," Roy said.
Dushyant Mudgal, Director, Postal service in Delhi, said that new customers have joined and some of them order online medicines.
He said pharmaceutical companies also seeking to provide kits and masks to distant areas.
"With our dedicated road vehicles and through cargo flights we try to provide medicines and medical kits in 3 to 4 days. We track all the life-saving drugs and priority" he said. (ANI)