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NEW DELHI: Swedish telecoms gear maker Ericsson Friday joined hands with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), to jointly distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to over 4,000 sanitation workers in Tamil Nadu.

It is also supported by the Government with The Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Program (TNUSSP) team. The
PPE kits include face masks, nitrile gloves, headbands, wristbands, and disinfectant soap.

This initiative will also lay emphasis on the creation of communication material to enable effective use of the PPE kits along with awareness, said Ericsson. The initiative will also indirectly benefit 1 million people who are served by more than 4,000 sanitation workers and is expected to be completed by 14 January 2021.

“Considering the importance of sanitation workers, Ericsson India Global Service Pvt. Ltd in coordination with Indian Institute of Human Settlements is providing the Personal Protective Equipment, which should be utilized regularly by the sanitation workers. This would ensure the safety of sanitation workers and also others,” said Uma Maheshwari Ramachandran, Joint Director (Admin), Directorate of Town Panchayats, IIHS.

“Sanitation workers have been at the frontline in the battle against the pandemic and are among the most vulnerable to contact
COVID-19 from discarded waste. By financially supporting this initiative as part of our ongoing CSR program, we hope to help improve safeguards to their health,” said Amitabh Ray, Managing Director,
Ericsson Global Services.

“Through this collaboration with Ericsson and support from the Government, we aim to improve the safety standards for sanitation workers in Tamil Nadu and also hope other states can emulate this initiative to benefit frontline workers, especially in these crucial times,” Aromar Revi, Director, IIHS, concluded.

Additionally, around 1000 individuals including professionals from the sanitation and development sectors, academics, government officials, and NGOs are a part of this initiative in various capacities.