Q: How did your group assist the workforce during the extended curfew?  

While information was readily available, misinformation was rife across social media; so we took steps to promote accurate information.

In this regard, we established our corporate communications team as the sole authority to despatch information across the group and thereby mitigate unverified information circulating within the group.

Hemas is fortunate to have knowledgeable healthcare professionals on hand and an infection control unit in Hemas Hospitals so we were able to consistently access verified information.

The curfew posed several issues to our staff including access to medicine, food and cash. HR teams and line managers were encouraged to call staff and find out how they were managing and seek solutions for their immediate needs.

If members of staff had difficulty finding medicine, our healthcare teams delivered it to their homes. In most of our subsidiaries, team members found it difficult to obtain essential household items and food. We arranged special food and dry ration packs to help those in need.

We also tried to ensure that our team members had cash on hand for emergencies. And we released their salaries on time without delays even though as a business, conserving cash was critical.

For those who found it difficult to work from home (WFH) during this period, their immediate needs were met. In our subsidiaries where operations were carried out even during curfew, we took measures to provide transport facilities to staff with proper physical distancing, hand washing etc.

In some subsidiaries, carpooling was encouraged instead of using public transport.

Q: And how has your group played a part in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis?

From the onset of the pandemic, Hemas formed a COVID-19 task force led by the group’s chief executive, all managing directors and corporate office functional leaders, together with our risk and security teams. The primary objective was to ensure that timely decisions were taken to guarantee three key objectives.

The first was to ensure the safety of Hemas’ direct and indirect employees. For this, we engaged medical experts who could provide us with accurate information about the pandemic, and educate management and staff on how to be responsible – and contribute to the health and safety of the community at large.

Educational sessions were held across key locations, and employees were given the opportunity to clarify their doubts with documents, articles, videos and collaterals provided so that they could take this knowledge home to ensure their loved ones were safe too.

We also established several stringent protocols to ensure that our employees remained safe.

The second objective was to ensure that our premises, locations and communities were safeguarded. This involved engaging a medical expert to visit all our locations, and conduct audits to assess the level of readiness and make appropriate recommendations.

And our last objective was to ensure that we did our best to deliver quality essential goods needed by Sri Lankan consumers to sustain their heath, safety and lives.

Our teams across Hemas Pharmaceuticals and Morison worked hard to shore up confidence among consumers that there wouldn’t be a scarcity of essential medicines or lapses in services.