Ludhiana: Covid norms go for a toss at Child Development Project office

Social distancing and Covid norms went for a toss as Anganwadi workers, auxillary nurse midwifes (ANMs) and Asha workers gathered in large numbers for a training session at the Child Development Project office in Ludhiana

Social distancing and Covid norms went for a toss as Anganwadi workers, auxillary nurse midwifes (ANMs) and Asha workers gathered in large numbers for a training session at the Child Development Project office near Sidhwan Canal on Gill Road on Thursday.

Around 6,000 health workers gathered at the Child Development Project office in Ludhiana; Covid norms were thrown to the wind. (HT Photp)

The health workers have been assigned the duty to check temperature of voters using thermal scanners and provide masks and sanitisers at polling booths on the day of the elections. However, the office did not have the necessary instruments to provide the training and after making the workers wait for three hours, they were sent back.

According to Anganwadi workers, around 6,000 people gathered at the office and there was utter chaos as very few people were wearing masks and there was no social distancing.

An Asha worker said that they should be called in groups to avoid crowding and as some of them had even come from other corners of the city, officials should have ensured that the instruments were available.

Despite repeated attempts, Gulbahar Toor, district program officer, was not available for comments.