With the COVID-19 tally in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL)’s coal mines, departments and offices together mounting to a little over 460 so far, the management has initiated a slew of measures to check the infection spread in the coal belt.
As many as 462 COVID cases were reported from various coal mines/departments, offices and staff quarters of the SCCL spread in seven districts so far, SCCL sources said.
Of these, the Kothagudem region consisting of the Yellandu, Manuguru, Kothagudem and Corporate areas, accounted for 56 cases.
SCCL sources said that as many as 109 of these cases turned negative. A total of four persons died of suspected COVID-19 at the Singareni main hospital in the past three days. SCCL sources attributed their death to pre-existing health issues coupled with infection.
To effectively stem the spread of coronavirus, the company management has launched a vigorous campaign across the coal belt region to ensure strict implementation of the COVID-19 preventive measures in all its coal fields, departments and staff quarters across the coal belt. The management has made arrangements for providing treatment to the infected employees at some of the major private hospitals in Hyderabad apart from ramping up screening and treatment services in its area hospitals across the State’s coal belt.
Rapid antigen testing kits have also been made available at the main hospital in Kothagudem and the area hospitals elsewhere in various other areas of State.
However, some of the major trade unions operating in the Singareni coal fields have been consistently demanding scaling up of testing facilities at the coal mine level and life insurance cover to the SCCL staff, including the entire workforce both regular and contract workers.