MUMBAI: Jewellery retailer Malabar Gold and Diamonds on Wednesday said it has earmarked Rs 8 crore towards providing 1 lakh free COVID-19 vaccines in association with charitable organisations and hospitals.
"As the country is battling a resurgent wave of COVID-19 cases, vaccination has become extremely important to prevent the pandemic spread. This initiative is the first step in our contribution to the nationwide vaccination drive," Malabar Group Chairman M P Ahammed said in a statement.
He added that the company will use its services and infrastructure to reach out to and vaccinate those who are most vulnerable to the disease.
"We have earmarked Rs 8 crore for the vaccination drive," Ahammed said.
The drive will be held at both the company premises and through tie-ups with leading hospitals.
The announcement comes on a day when the Supreme Court asked the Centre to file an affidavit furnishing the complete data on purchase history of all Covid vaccines -- Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V -- till date.
All these details will have to be filed through an affidavit within two weeks, the court said.
The Court ordered that the affidavit should clarify the dates of all procurement orders placed by the government, the quantity of vaccines ordered and the projected date of supply.
The Court also sought information on the percentage of population that has been vaccinated with one dose and both doses.
(With Online Desk inputs)