IMC sanitary workers exposed to virus

A officer of IMC says all-out efforts were being made to ensure regular medical supplies to the sanitary workers

ISLAMABAD:

At a time, when the entire world underlines the need for extra hygiene and precautionary measures to ward off the coronavirus risk, the sanitary workers of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) put their lives in peril to keep the city neat and clean.

With total strength of above 1,500, the IMC sanitary workers whose job includes roads cleaning, door-to-door garbage collection and emptying pits and trash trolleys require extra care and complete safety kits to keep the coronavirus at bay, especially during their exposure to untidy and filthy places. "We are not being given facemasks, sanitisers and gloves on regular basis.

Those equipment should be provided to every sanitary worker by the IMC whether he is permanent employee of the corporation or working under a private contractor," a sanitary worker at sector G-7 requesting anonymity alleged.

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"I have to buy my own mask daily to ensure safety of mine and my family members who live with me in a small flat," the worker added.

He passionately called for providing the safety kits to every worker, especially women and elderly staffers.

Another worker performing duty at sector G-6 said he had raised this issue time and again with the authorities concerned but unfortunately it seemed that the words fell on deaf ears.

He said most of the sanitary workers lived in congested areas, especially at slums and a single case might cause outbreak in the particular locality.

A senior officer of IMC Sanitation Department said all-out efforts were being made to ensure regular medical supplies to the sanitary workers in the times of pandemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2020.