NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for the welfare of its sanitation workers has started health camps. The civic body, which employees around 3,000 safai karamcharis, has set up 14 roll call centres in the Lutyens’ zone and the offices of the NDMC at Palika Kendra and Gol Dak Khana. It is screening patients for cancer, hypertension and diabetes.
NDMC’s Health Department plans to continue the camps for a year in association with NGOs such as Indian Cancer Society. “We will collect and compile their health data and counsel them in the first phase. We will also give them benefits such as medicines after the camp,” said Shakuntala Srivastava, director, and project health department.
NDMC has already collected the data of more than 200 workers. Over 50 per cent of sanitation workers suffer from acute hypertension. The civic body will invite ENT specialist for the camps and NGO volunteers will monitor the screening of workers.
The initiative is being taken keeping in mind the betterment of the workforce. The medical history and habits of the workers that could prove fatal in the long term are being looked at, Srivastava added. “The camps have professionals. It was very helpful for me as I realised that in the future I could develop oral cancer if I keep chewing tobacco,” said Ramesh, a worker. The NDMC has also planned to construct around 67 roll call centres for safai karamcharis in different localities. It has allocated Rs 15.25 crore for capital expenditure in the health sector for 2016-17. Awareness campaigns through nukkad nataks and educational films based on prevention of the diseases are also being screened.