Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) lost 23 of its Covid warriors, the highest in any civic body in the state. However, the civic body is relentlessly putting up its valiant fight against the global pandemic.
Of the casualties it suffered, half of the employees belonged to the health department which has been in the forefront, ever since battle lines were drawn in the city against the pandemic.
As per data, as many as 11 SMC employees had died in the month of July only.
The first SMC warrior to succumb to the virus was Girish Bhadarka, a sanitary sub inspector working in Leprosy department who died on July 7, two days after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Total 1,011 SMC employees have tested positive for Covid-19 till now.
According to sources, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation lost 14 employees, Vadodara five and Rajkot lost four employees to Covid-19.
Of the 23 employees who succumbed to the virus, two were sanitary sub-inspectors, four sanitary inspectors, two safai kamdars, seven clerks, four beldars, one each of junior engineer, sub officer (fire), peon and assistant accountant.
“Majority of those SMC employees who succumbed to Covid-19 were working hard for the betterment of the society and to keep people safe from the virus. Sanitary inspectors, safai workers and beldars, fire officers were among those who were directly engaged in the Covid-19 duty which included sanitization, door-to-door survey and other health services and come into contact with the virus, We have considered all 23 employees who have died due to Covid-19 as frontline workers,” Ashish Naik, dy municipal commissioner, (health), told TOI.