Pathao has taken the initiative to enable access to COVID-19 vaccines for about 1,000 of its service, under the facilitation of 'EkShop' of a2i program of the Government of Bangladesh. Pathao’s food and courier delivery agents were registered for vaccination at the Company’s headquarters on Wednesday.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Pathao’ and other leading e-commerce service providers have been working to bring essential urgent products to the doorsteps of the consumers, while adhering to proper healthcare guidelines. Accordingly, the government has already designated e-commerce as an emergency service, and the Ministry of Health has granted permission to 6,000 e-commerce workers for vaccine registration, to ensure the health and safety of these frontline workers.
In this regard, the Head of the Health Information Unit in the Directorate General of Health Services, Shah Ali Akbar Ashrafi said, “During the pandemic, Pathao and other leading e-commerce and logistics companies are delivering essential goods to the doorsteps of consumers. A2I has taken measures to vaccinate e-commerce workers with the Covid-19 vaccine to safeguard their health and safety. They can get vaccinated by registering through the ‘Surokkha’ web portal. This initiative will make the e-commerce sector stronger, more robust and dynamic. ”
ekShop of a2i and the ICT Division has led various measures around the e-commerce industry since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rezwanul Haque Jami, Team Leader of ekShop, said, “The services of e-commerce workers are critical during the time of the pandemic. It is therefore important to keep them healthy. We are taking all possible precautions to ensure the well-being of e-commerce workers. In association with Bloodman, we are registering these workers. I would also like to thank the Hon'ble State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak for enabling this digital coordination for the welfare of these frontline workers. ”
Fahim Ahmed, President of Pathao said, "The latest spike in the Covid-19 cases serves as a reminder that our fight against the pandemic continues. At ‘Pathao’, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure the health and safety of our customers and service providers. We are grateful to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the ICT Division, and A2I ekShop for enrolling our frontliners under the COVID-19 vaccination program. ”
Furthermore, Pathao applauded the Government's decision to allow resumption of public transportation in all city corporation areas across the country, including in Dhaka, from 6 AM to 6 PM during the lockdown period. In compliance with the regulations, Pathao 'Car' has already resumed service in these areas. As Bangladesh’s largest digital service platform for public transportation, Pathao emphasized the need for all to act responsibly and comply with health, hygiene and safety protocols. Pathao is committed to enabling access to safe, reliable and affordable modes of transportation to consumers, and to providing income opportunities for the daily earners on its platform.