Hyderabad: Why no vaccination jab for us? ask crematorium workers

Hyderabad: While they perform the most respectable job of giving a final adieu to the dead, the cremation workers are left out of the vaccination race even as the State launched a separate vaccination drive for super-spreaders and people who fall under the high risk categories.

In Hyderabad alone, there are about 250-300 small and big crematoriums with many workers working here.

Jagadish, a postgraduate in Commerce and with an additional degree in Journalism, working as a crematorium worker (Kati Kapari) in one of the crematoriums in the city until recently witnessed the arrival of dead bodies of people who succumbed to Covid.

Speaking to The Hans India, Jagadish said, the crematorium workers have been urging every official and politician visiting to inspect their place to treat them as frontline warriors and give priority when it comes to vaccination.

"We have been living under constant fear since the time of the second wave. Normally, only three to five dead bodies come for cremation in a day. But, from the middle of April till May, as many as 10 dead bodies were brought for cremation. These were patients who died due to Covid among others," Jagadish said.

Officials from the medical and health, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and even local MLAs visited to inspect the place. "We urged them for two things, firstly, sanitisation of the place and second priority in vaccination. But, all this had fell on deaf ears," he said.

"But, for the reasons best known for the State government, medical and health and GHMC officials, they could run a special vaccination programme for the fruit, flower, meat, vegetable and other petty vendors.

But, completely left out the crematorium workers and the priests who perform the last rights," noted Viswa Hindu Parishad leader Ravinuthala Sashidar, adding that even the priests going and returning after performing the last rights have to face the wrath of police at several places as they were not issued the curfew passes.

Expressing a similar view, Sridhar, keeper of Saidabad graveyard said, "None is bothered about us. The GHMC staff comes to carryout sanitisation whenever we make a request to the local corporator," he said.

It may be mentioned here that Sahebnagar, LB Nagar, Amberpet, Puranapool, Bansilalpet and Erragadda crematoriums have been conducting the last rites of those who are dying of Covid.

"In some cases, people just bring the dead bodies packed in bedsheets and we don't know whether it was a normal death or Covid death. It takes 400 kg of wood and 10 litres of diesel and a minimum of two-and-a-half hours for a body to completely turn into ashes. Secondly, wait of an hour or so takes to take out and fill the urns to collect ashes to be preserved in a locker room to handover to the kin and kith of the deceased," said Jagadish.

Neither the crematorium workers, graveyard keepers or priests who conduct last rights have any health cards or covered under any health programme. Earlier, a top leader and Minister from the State government assured to health cards and education to the children of these workers.

Former president of Telangana Kati Kaparla Association, Dasar Satyanarayana said, "The officials asked us for the report of Covid death count, but never asked about whether we got vaccinated or not."