Q: How has your organisation supported the national response to COVID-19?

Dialog Axiata leveraged its resources and capabilities to help alleviate the pandemic’s impact, and empower customers, staff, the community and the nation.

Meanwhile, the government and health authorities worked together to find solutions to protect people and flatten the curve.

To ensure that Sri Lankans remained connected during the curfew, Dialog introduced multiple initiatives across its businesses including a free emergency reload relief pack for all mobile subscribers.

More than 8.5 million customers were served; and with 25 million packs activated, this accounted for 25 million gigabytes of data and seven billion minutes.

Additionally, we doubled data and provided nearly Rs. 200 million in emergency loans so that low balance customers could stay connected while facilitating credit enhancements for all postpaid customers.

Furthermore, over 600,000 home broadband users were offered free data and unlimited calls between Dialog fixed lines.

To help customers stay informed and entertained during isolation, we provided access to Dialog TV’s full bouquet of over 130 premium channels to the entirety of our 1.4 million households.

Q: What other measure did you company take to assist partners, employees and others?

In support of our partners during this challenging time, we enhanced their credit terms to maintain supply chains to the market, provided real-time market information to maximise their operational efficiency while facilitating all the necessary safety requirements for partner sales teams.

To ensure the safety of our employees, we immediately provided all necessary resources to work from home (WFH) and transportation for essential staff, and maintained regular communications.

We also introduced engagement activities and shared including health and safety awareness campaigns.

To uplift the healthcare sector in the long run, Dialog Axiata pledged 200 million rupees for the immediate development of ICU capacities in hospitals selected by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In less than a month, we gifted the public a fully functional ICU at the Negombo District General Hospital. And we’re commencing the second component of the pledge to establish a fully functional ICU at the Homagama Base Hospital.

Further, Dialog’s teams implemented an extraordinary range of measures to support communities across the island including ‘Manusath Derana with Dialog’, ‘Siyatha Lengathukama with Dialog’, ‘ITN Manushyathwayei Sathkaraya with Dialog’ and ‘Vasantham TV/FM with Dialog’.

These initiatives provided urgently required daily relief in the form of dry rations worth in excess of Rs. 56 million to over 128,000 people covering more than 400 villages in 22 districts.

We’re also supporting the national effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic via multiple innovative technology based solutions including Dialog’s Nenasa Distance Learning initiative, which was extended as a toll-free hotline (1377). Inclusive teleconferencing solutions were facilitated to 112 schools.

Dialog also extended telepresence, telehealth and connectivity solutions to 30 hospitals, and established 36 telemedicine units at the MOH and National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) with a national collaborative e-Health system, delivering centralised healthcare, education and information services via remote collaboration technologies.

Additionally, we extended to the public a toll-free helpline (1390) for the latest medical advice from qualified doctors, which provided over 100,000 consultations at the time.