COVID-19: THIS hotel chain delivers over 3 lakh meals to healthcare workers

New Delhi: Tata Group firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) on Sunday said it will have delivered over 3 lakh meals to healthcare providers in 32 hospitals and COVID centres across eight cities by the end of the day as part of COVID care initiatives of the company.

The company has once again started its #MealsToSmiles initiative from May 2, 2021, IHCL said.

The meals are being delivered in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Varanasi, it added.

"At IHCL, the health and safety of our employees, guests, partners and the larger community are integral to our culture of Tajness. In line with this, we have created a structured and holistic approach that covers all our stakeholders," IHCL MD and CEO Puneet Chhatwal told PTI.

The company's priorities in this regard are preventing infection, protecting lives, providing support and perseverance in ensuring sustained safety, he added.

"This thrust, while encompassing multiple avenues, includes the restarting of 'Meals to Smiles' initiative from 2nd May. We will have delivered over 3 lakh meals by today evening to 32 hospitals and COVID-19 centres across eight locations," Chhatwal said.

About the other initiatives of the company, he said, "We have continued collaborating with local hospitals to offer some of our hotels as quarantine facilities for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients and this extends to our employees as well."

This initiative is available across 13 hotels in 10 cities and the scope is expanding depending on the dynamic needs of the situation, he added.

"We have also been hosting the medical fraternity at our hotels across the country," Chhatwal said.

The company had first begun the #MealsToSmiles initiative during the first wave of the pandemic last year. It started on May 23, 2020 and stretched over five months of lockdown, IHCL said.

"We distributed approximately 3 million meals to medical fraternity across the country, and frontline workers and migrant workers in Mumbai," it added.

The initiative has been spearheaded through the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust in collaboration with IHCL's airline catering brand, TajSats, which has partnered with individuals and brands like Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, World Central Kitchen, Deutsche Bank, Tata Trusts and others, it added.

Asked how long IHCL plans to continue with the initiative, it said, "This is a very dynamic situation - we will monitor how it evolves and take a call accordingly."