Petition to give PPEs to non-med frontline workers

Petition to give PPEs to non-med frontline workers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:  11.05.2020

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before Madras high court seeking to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to nonmedical frontline workers in the state.

R Sathiamoorthy, executive trustee of the NGO ‘People’s Watch’, said though the state government had taken effective steps for the containment of Covid-19, non-medical frontline workers such as police, fire and rescue services personnel, cleanliness workers, ambulance staff, revenue officials, volunteers and mediapersons were left vulnerable.

All non-medical frontline workers, particularly police personnel and volunteers managing crowds and traffic, were not wearing PPE kits but only masks. He said news reports revealed that several such workers had tested positive for Covid-19 and the Koyambedu experience clearly established the need for properly protecting all frontline workers by providing them PPE kits. Nonmedical frontline workers involved in the disease prevention works should also be subjected to routine medical checkup.

He further stated that careful directions and strict implementation were lacking regarding the need for PPE kits for frontline workers. Though he had submitted representation to the authorities concerned, no steps were taken so far, the petitioner said while seeking a direction from the Madurai bench of the court to the state government to take immediate steps in this regard.

Police, fire and rescue services personnel, cleanliness workers, ambulance staff and mediapersons were among vulnerable, the plea said