State Bank of India (SBI) has lost over 520 officials to Covid-19 since the pandemic unfolded early last year, two sources in the bank said.
The country’s largest lender had lost 220 officials until 31 March 2021. But the second wave of Covid-19 has been more brutal and in April alone the number of fatalities shot up to almost 300, the sources added.
Deaths are now taking place across all age groups and geographies. “In the first wave, Covid deaths in our bank occurred mainly in the age group of 55 years and above. Many of those who had succumbed then had comorbidities. But the second wave is taking away many younger officials who are aged in their late 20s, 30s and 40s,” said a senior SBI official.
Accentuating the problem is the fact that 60% of SBI’s 22,000 branches are in rural or semi-urban centres where a well-equipped hospital is often a distant dream. Banking being an essential service, the branches have to remain open despite the gravity of the Covid-19 situation or even the lockdown imposed by the government. This has put the banking staff at great risk.
SBI is no exception to this tragic Covid-19 tale. The banking sector has lost over 1,300 employees to the virus while over 150,000 have been infected. Some even say this death count could be much higher. The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), an industry body, put the number of deaths in the banking sector at 600 until 31 December 2020, but the count has not been updated after that.
The silver lining, however, is that SBI has managed to vaccinate close to 100,000 of its staff with at least the first dose. The bank, which has a total staff strength of around 250,000, is also striving to vaccinate the family members of its staff.
SBI, like most of the other banks, has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased. The bank is also offering a job to the spouse or child of the employee who succumbed to Covid-19.
SBI has set up a quick response team (QRT), headed by a general manager at the corporate centre, to monitor the Covid position at the entire bank level. The bank is also distributing medical kits for its employees and upgrading facilities in private hospitals so that they get preference if need be. “We have also started counselling centres to advise employees,” said SBI chief general manager of Hyderabad circle Om Prakash Mishra.
The bank has converted over 20 of its training centres into Covid care hubs with oxygenated beds. “In Hyderabad, one training centre has been converted into a Covid care hub with 50 beds and oxygen facilities,” said Mishra. About 30 employees have died in our circle, he added.
In urban centres, many banks, including SBI, have started total doorstep banking. Agents are appointed by the banks to pick up cheques, deposit cash, bring home cash, etc. “The Hyderabad circle alone accounts for 33% of the total doorstep banking activity of SBI. For each service availed, there is a charge of Rs 88. This has played a big role in bringing down the infections and reducing the crowd at the branches,” said Mishra.
