So far, as many as 462 COVID cases have been reported from different SCCL coal mines / departments, offices, and staff quarters spread over seven districts.
With the COVID-19 count in the coal mines, branches, and offices of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) mounting together to a little over 460 so far, management has introduced a slew of steps to monitor the spread of infection in the coal belt. Of these, there were 56 cases in the Kothagudem region which consisted of the Yellandu, Manuguru, Kothagudem and Corporate areas.
As many as 109 of those cases turned out to be negative. In the past three days a total of four people died of suspected COVID-19 at the main hospital in Singareni. SCCL sources attributed their death along with infection to pre-existing health issues.
To effectively curb the spread of coronavirus, the company management has launched a concerted campaign across the coal belt area to ensure that COVID-19 preventive measures are strictly enforced across the coal belt in all its coal fields, departments and staff quarters. The management has made arrangements to provide treatment for the infected employees at some of Hyderabad ‘s major private hospitals apart from ramping up screening and treatment services across the State’s coal belt in its area hospitals.
Rapid antigen test kits have also been made available in various other areas of the State at the main hospital in Kothagudem and the area hospitals elsewhere. However, some of the major trade unions working in the Singareni coal fields have consistently requested that test facilities be scaled up at the coal mine level and that the SCCL personnel provide life insurance, for the entire workforce, including permanent and contract employees.
