Farmers Movement Archive

Screen vendors, sanitation workers: Residents

In a bid to ensure overall safety, city residents are now demanding regular medical screening of vegetable/fruits vendors, sanitation workers and others, who are working in this tough time of the Covid-19 crisis.How effective is thermal scanning in identifying casesThe WHO guidelines suggest that thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever because of Covid-19 infection. However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between two and 10 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever.They have demanded that the authorities should issue medical certificates to them so that the residents can use their services without any hesitation.Though the MC claims that these hawkers get screened whenever they come to the Sector 26 mandi, reports have suggested that no medical check-up was done at the time of issuing work permits.“The vendors and hawkers get screened at the Sector 26 mandi whenever they come to get the supplies. They face thermal scanners, sanitisation machine and are provided with gloves and masks to carry out their business in a proper manner,” said MC Commissioner KK Yadav.“Our team of doctors is available 24x7 at the Sector 26 mandi. They follow a standard operating procedure. In the past 10 days, the team has treated some vendors who complained about minor problems. They were asked to take rest. The vendors are also been directed to follow the standard procedure of washing hands and wear masks. The same applies to sanitation workers,” said Yadav. The UT Administration had issued 180 licences to hawkers, of which 145 are reportedly active.“The hawkers should be given some authentic proof stating their health. They go to different sites and come in contact with hundreds of people. So, they are more exposed to the threat. The authorities should conduct their medical check-up on a daily basis. It will help residents who won’t have to worry while making purchases from them,” said Kuldip Singh Gill, President, Residents Welfare Association (RWA), Sector 21 (B).However, many vendors were caught selling supplies without wearing proper equipment. A majority of the garbage pickers, who regularly visit hundreds of home, are also not provided with any special protective gear.“Most hawkers do not wear masks or gloves. They are making small profits and may not be able to buy sanitisers and gloves every day. Also, their carts should be sanitised. Most vegetables and fruits on the carts are covered with wet gunny sacks, which again are a source of infection,” said Isha Mehra, a local resident.“They touch many dustbins with the same gloves before dumping it on their carts. They push the carts throughout the city. The Administration should arrange a proper sanitation platform for them,” said Amit, another resident.“The weather is changing and we cannot wear gloves all day long. We try to wash our hands frequently. We are also at a risk whenever we purchase the supplies or come out to sell these. However, work has to be done,” said a vegetable vendor.

The Tribune

2020-04-15

Chandigarh