During April – May we have seen many video clips and media coverage from across the country where sanitation workers are being applauded and praised by showering flowers and garlands for their remarkable services during Covid-19.

When the whole country was under lockdowns to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, these frontline workers kept alive the essential services like sanitation and waste management. These frontline heroes exhibited great courage by continuing their service amidst contagion. The sanitation workers performing their duties day and night from cleaning streets to lifting, dumping garbage, and emptying septic tanks handling biohazards in these tough times.

They provide essential services that promote health, prevent diseases and deliver health care services to individuals, families and communities based on the primary health care approach. Mechanisms for optimizing the strengths and skills of health professionals will be essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. During the current COVID-19 crisis, health workers are not only putting in longer hours but also working under increasingly difficult circumstances, which affect both their physical and mental health.

Cleaning staffs are on the front lines of fighting this global pandemic, as they are responsible for deep cleaning, disinfecting and scrubbing the surfaces and areas that are hosts of potentially dangerous germs and viruses. Many of them work with elderly individuals as a part of their jobs, and many of them are also immigrants—which puts them at another, complicated risk of infection from the new coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified some of the occupational and health hazards of these sanitation workers which are normally ignored and left unattended. Some of the workers performed their duties with limited protection and almost no formal guidance or support. The office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India (GoI) issued guidelines for hygiene and sanitation in densely populated areas during COVID-19 pandemic to ensured safe access to sanitation and hygiene in low-income settlements.

The first case of Covid-19 was reported from Kerala in India, but over the month the State has shown great improvement in curbing the spread of this Virus. The state has applied innovative approaches with its experience in disaster management planning to quickly deploy resources and put up a timely and comprehensive response. 

Caritas India and her partner Sahrudaya, the social work wing of Ernakulam and Angamaly diocese under Disaster Clinics project has supported the sanitation workers in Ernakulam with hygiene kits in the second week of November 2020. These workers were part of the Cochin Corporation, Ernakulam. The hygiene kits contained masks, bathing & washing soaps, floor cleaner, hand wash, sanitizer, and soap power.

Mr. P.T Thomas, MLA, Thrikkakkara, the chief guest in the program distributed the hygiene kits to the workers. Fr. Joseph Koluthuvellil, Director, Sahrudaya addressed the workers, “you were an essential part of the community and you were doing the divine job.” Fr. Jose along with Ms. Soumini Jain, Mayor, Cochin Corporation also distributed the kits to the rest of the workers. Mayor congratulated the services of Sahrudaya during covid-19 and thanked Fr. Jose and team for this model initiative. 

“Sahrudaya is always coming up with new programmes for the society and Cochin Corporation always values and recognize these programmes along with the common people,” shared Mrs. Soumini Jain in her felicitation speech. Health inspectors and health officials participated in the program. This is the starting point where Sahrudaya covered 168 health workers with hygiene kits and will reach to 300 sanitation workers in Cochin corporation.