Featured in THE LOGICAL INDIAN

As the demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits increases among healthcare workers for their safety, Ericsson in collaboration with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) flagged off an initiative to support the distribution of the kits to over 4,000 sanitation workers across 13 Urban Local Bodies in the state of Tamil Nadu.

This initiative also aims at creating digital-blended training and communication material to enable effective use of the PPE kits together with bringing awareness on general health and social welfare topics amid the sanitation workers and their families in Tamil Nadu.

It is expected to be completed by 14 January 2021. The Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Program (TNUSSP) team has also partnered for this initiative.

For the past five years, IIHS has been supporting the Government of Tamil Nadu through TNUSSP program for maintaining urban sanitation.

Now, Ericsson India Global Service Pvt. Ltd, software company has come forward to collaborate with IIHS for this initiative.

Amitabh Ray, Managing Director, Ericsson Global Services states said, “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.”

At IIHS, the Digital Blended Learning team and Media Lab, has produced a set of videos in Tamil that will guide the sanitation workers on the effective practices of PPE use, maintenance, and disposal.

The initiative is directed at reducing the risk of infections among sanitation workers.

Around 1000 individuals including professionals from the sanitation and development sectors, academics, government officials and NGOs are also a part of this initiative.