Corporation to give free medicines to conservancy workers

According to special council resolution approved recently, 19,576 workers belong to the solid waste management and health departments would get tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine and doxycycline tablets periodically. “Td vaccine will be administered to all the workers once in six months, and doxycycline tablets will be given two times a day for five days every year,” the resolution said.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, an official said that the conservancy workers and malaria workers were susceptible to injuries while cleaning.

“To prevent infection due to injuries, we have decided to provide Td vaccine. Also, workers are engaged in cleaning storm water drains in which sewage water get mixed. They most commonly get affected by leptospirosis. The tablets will prevent leptospirosis among the workers,” the official added.

The civic body has decided to procure medicines from the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation. Also, the zonal level officials have been directed to maintain a registry to track the implementation of the scheme. “The scheme will be started soon after the medicines are procured from the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation,” the official said.

In another move to encourage conservancy workers, the Greater Chennai Corporation has also decided to give incentive for the workers who produce organic manure from the garbage.

“The money earned from the sale of organic manure will be given to the conservancy workers. Also, we will give the earnings from the sale of recyclable dry waste to them,” the official added.