Employees at crematoriums, cemeteries demand priority in vaccinations

With the increase in deaths due to COVID-19 in the country, employees at crematoriums and cemeteries have urged the government to give them vaccination on priority as they are at higher risk.

Sunil Sharma, chief pandit and cremation manager at Ghazipur crematorium said there are 22 employees at the crematorium and no one has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

"We request the Delhi government to vaccinate the workers at the crematoriums, where the last rites of the COVID-19 patients are being performed to stop the spread of COVID-19 among them," Sharma said.

Sharma alleged negligence in the matter from the side of the government.

"We wrote to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) urging to get the workers of the crematoriums vaccinated. MCD asked some of the employees to visit the vaccination centres but they were not able to get vaccinated as they were below 45 years," Sharma told ANI.

India has recorded 4,120 COVID-related deaths with 3,62,727 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

( With inputs from ANI )