Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar, and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) have cushioned the health and infrastructure of Odisha in the war against COVID-19. The most helpful contribution made by KIIT and KISS is setting up four ultramodern dedicated COVID hospitals by the Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a constituent of KIIT Deemed to be University.
The 4 hospitals set up by KIMS, has been made possible by the support of the government. Out of the 4 hospitals, 3 are located in tribal-dominated districts of Odisha, and 1 is located in Bhubaneshwar. The hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 1200. KIMS COVID Hospital in Bhubaneswar, a 500-bedded state-of-the-art facility including 50 critical care beds, is India’s first standalone COVID hospital.
Additionally, KIIT Deemed to be University has decided to provide free education to the children of the COVID deceased in Odisha. The facility will be available for two academic years: 2020-21 and 2021-22.
KIIT and KISS reached out to various groups facing hardship due to the extended lockdown. The intervention included the distribution of food materials and other essentials to over 3 lakh pandemic-hit people, including the disadvantaged people living in various slums, stranded migrant labourers, who were also provided temporary shelter, and people living in containment zones.
They have also managed to reach the most neglected section of the society – transgenders, sportspersons, physically challenged, sex workers, etc. via their community outreach activities. These sections of the society were distributed with basic amenities needed for day to day life.
Food materials and cash to meet other expenses for three months were given to priests and other workers of several spiritual centers in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, and nearby towns. The two institutions are providing groceries and cash for miscellaneous expenses to over 40 orphanages, old age homes, and leprosy centers in the Kandhamal district.
The student community is also one of the most hard-hit sections in this pandemic. KISS is a home for 30,000 tribal students from interior districts of Odisha pursuing their studies from Standard-I to PG/Ph.D. level. Days before the outbreak of the pandemic, they were sent to their respective homes in various districts of Odisha. KISS has been sending study materials, dress, and generous amounts of dry foods at the doorsteps every month since April. The monthly materials also contain sanitary napkins for the adolescent girl students. This will continue until the reopening of KISS.
Prof. Samanta, Founder has ensured the arrangement for textbooks, study materials, and dried food items to be provided at the students’ doorsteps at the start of the new academic year.
Also, KISS has managed to be one of the early institutes to begin online classes and has been maintaining the academic schedule perfectly for students of all levels.
Inspired by the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India), KISS has revved up its vocational skill center during the Covid-19 pandemic. The center has been scaled up to become a medium-size industry and is now making 25 different types of vocational products. These products are marketed through a well-developed distribution channel, besides fulfilling the in-house requirements of KIIT & KISS. The sale proceeds from the center are expected to make KISS self-reliant in the coming years.
KIIT and KISS have also reached out to the orphans of the state. The first six months of the ongoing pandemic has made many children orphans. To protects the orphans, especially of the poor family background, KIIT & KISS have adopted and are taking care of about 100 orphans. They are providing them monthly allowance ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10000, depending upon the family size. They will be also provided with free education and subsequently complete higher education in KIIT & KISS.
