Efforts to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 at Cadila

It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that we are currently writing history. These days, in the future, will either be remembered as one of the biggest victories of mankind or they will be referred to as dark days. The whole world is fighting to win this war. We, at Cadila Pharmaceuticals, are taking all steps to ensure we contribute to the world and help win.

Being a pharmaceutical company, we are an essential service and it becomes more important for us to keep our operations running. While doctors are out there risking their lives, we want to make sure that they have all the ammo with them to win this war. This does come at the cost of keeping our offices open but we are taking all precautions to keep our biggest assets, our employees, safe and still ensuring that the production of the medicines don’t stop.

Employees Safety First

We understand that asking our employees leave the safety of their homes comes with huge responsibilities. Hence, we have implemented the ‘50% workforce in the premise’ policy where 50% of the employees come to the office and the rest work from home, alternatively. Anyone who is above the age of 60 or is pregnant have been asked to strictly stay at home. Anyone with even mild health issue have been asked to work from home. The managers have been advised to keep a check on their team’s health and they have the full authority to send anyone home who might be sick. In addition to this, employees can apply for leave whenever they feel unwell.

Respecting the lockdown all field force has been given work from home till April 14. They are being encouraged to stay connected with the doctors and stockists to ensure that they have enough supply of all prescribed and essential medicines at all times. They have also been asked to buy masks and sanitizers for their safety which will later be reimbursed by the organization.

The support staff have been given masks, gloves and sanitizer and have to wear them at all times when performing their cleaning duty.

A special e-mail ID has been set up where employees can reach out with any concerns they might have regarding COVID-19. This email ID is also available to doctors and stockists so that they can reach out to our team in case of any query regarding the virus. We have also opened a tool-free helpline for our employees for non-emergency medical consultations to support them for any medical need.

Precautions around the Campuses

Since our production plant is operating at full capacity and our employees are coming to the campus, there are steps that we’ve taken to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19. All biometric machines have been deactivated. We have made arrangements of temperature check of all employees entering our premises across locations. Employees with above average temperature, are sent back home. There are sanitizers installed in every block and employees are reminded to wash/sanitize their hands frequently.

Social distancing is the need of the hour and with this in mind the functioning of the canteen has been temporarily suspended and all employees are encouraged to bring food from their homes. All the desks and community spaces are cleaned with disinfectant multiple times during the day. All meetings in closed rooms have been suspended till further notice. The employees have to conduct meetings via video conferencing or if in utmost necessity, they should meet outside in the open to reduce the possible spread of virus.

Production and Supply

In such time of crisis, our responsibilities have increased manifold. Our production facility are working full time to meet the demand of all medical products. Our supply team is on their toes to ensure the supply of these products reach their destinations on time, ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken and there is no shortage.

With the passing of each day we are updating our policies and taking strict actions for the safety of our employees. While the situation in the world is scary, we are positive that we will come out stronger. Stay safe everyone.