NEW DELHI: Indian Railways lost many 'mandays' in 2020-21 and 2021-22 due to employees suffering from different diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis. But it was measles that was the biggest threat, especially to Group C staff.
According to official figures obtained by this newspaper, around 51,166 attacks of measles on railway employees across 17 zones were reported in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
“In 2020-21, the railways reported 27,341 measles attacks on its employees, mostly Group C, and 23,825 in 2021-22 across the zones,” said an official source, adding that two employees died due to measles attack in 2020-21.
The enteric fever (typhoid) was the second biggest threat to railway employees during the last two financial years.
“In 2020-21, 5,294 attacks of enteric fever on railway employees were reported. In 2021-22, the railway reported 12,604 enteric fever attacks on its employees from across the country. Among 12,604 enteric fever attacks reported in 2021-22, the highest number of 5,547 attacks were reported from the Banaras locomotive factory in 2021-22,” according to the official data.
Water-communicable disease cholera attacked only 10 railway employees in both financial years.
The railways reported as many as 1,401 malaria attacks on its employees in 2020-21. But in 2021-22, malaria attacks increased many times to 6,419 in the year 2021-22.
Tuberculosis (TB) attacked 1,014 railway employees in 2020-21, but the number of tuberculosis attacks reduced to 161 in 2021-22.
“Though the number of tuberculosis attacks was fewer compared to the attacks of other diseases, the disease claimed the lives of 25 people in 2020-21 and 21 in 2021-22. The highest number of seven deaths due to tuberculosis was reported from Southern Railway, followed by Central Railway with six deaths in 2020-21,” said officers from the railways.
Mumps also made 57 attacks on railway employees in 2020-21 and 59 in 2021-22.
The railways also reported 275 chickenpox attacks in 2020-21 and 272 the next year.
In total, the railways reported 85,285 attacks of various diseases on its employees during the last two financial years — 2020-21 and 2021-22.
