 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Sand Box | Sand Box2 → |
Overview
During the second wave of covid-19 in India's capital New Delhi, cases started rising from beginning of April 2021, since the start of the month there was a sharp in the number cases recorded, by 26th April, cases had peaked at 26,000 daily positive patients. Many hospitals were overwhelmed, with 2 patients on a single bed[5] and patients being turned away from hospitals[6].
While doctors and nurses were considered frontline workers and their safety was prioritized by the Government, workers of crematoriums and mortuaries were largely ignored. A very high number of fatalities were recorded peaking at 448 deaths on 3rd May 2021, with a 7 day average of 398 deaths in New Delhi, overwhelming crematoriums and mortuaries in the city [7]. Due to the rising number of deaths in New Delhi, workers of crematoriums were working almost around the clock with very little safety[8].
Founders of, The Good Food Project, initiated this project, on Sunday 2nd May, to help provide food, safety equipment and sanitation to the workers of the New Delhi's crematoriums and mortuaries. According to Reuters, the initiative was running in 2 days[9]. Due to the very high numbers of fatalities, and no proper policy from the government, most of New Delhi's cemeteries were short on PPE, sanitizers, masks gloves and other essential items.
Crowd Funding
The initiative started as a personally funded project, however due to the huge lack of basic necessities available to crematoriums workers, the initiative quick fell short on funding. Reuters reported that one of the founders, Shray Gupta, started the project by donating 10,000 INR for food, which was to be distributed to workers of crematoriums. With the increasing cases and death toll, the Good Food Project turned to crowd funding.
The initiative quickly traction, approximately $20,000 were raised within 48 hours through crowd funding [10]. The Good Food Project used the crowd funding website Milap.org to raise funds[11].
The group is still gathering funds to provide more facilities to crematorium and mortuary workers, which often come a low-caste and financially depressed households. Many are underpaid and some are not paid regularly, meaning in case of falling ill, worker cannot will not be able to take care of their health care needs with their pay[12].
Petition
On 9th May, 2021, The Good Food Project team, initiated a petition to recognize crematoriums and mortuaries workers as frontline worker[13]
- ^ Bose, Meghnad (10 May 2021). "Overworked & underprotected: Crematorium workers demand priority vaccination". India Today. India Today. India Today. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "How this group has been helping the frontline workers - and how you can help them". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ Bhatt, Neha (2021-05-17). "As India's COVID-19 death toll climbs, crematorium workers are overwhelmed". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "FEATURE-India crowdfunds millions for its weary crematorium workers". Reuters. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ Pal, Alasdair; Siddiqui, Danish; Siddiqui, Danish (2021-04-15). "Two to a bed in Delhi hospital as India's COVID crisis spirals". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Miglani, Sanjeev; Kumar, Manoj (2021-04-24). "Indian hospitals turn away patients in COVID-19 'tsunami'". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "India coronavirus: Delhi to gradually come out of Covid lockdown". BBC News. 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "'No Break': Delhi Crematorium Workers Struggle With Rising Body Count". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "FEATURE-India crowdfunds millions for its weary crematorium workers". Reuters. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "FEATURE-India crowdfunds millions for its weary crematorium workers". Reuters. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ "Meals for Crematorium/Qabristan Workers In Delhi NCR". milaap.org. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "India's crematorium workers bear the burden of COVID crisis | DW | 18.05.2021". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Bose, Meghnad (10 May 2021). "Overworked & underprotected: Crematorium workers demand priority vaccination". India Today. India Today. India Today. Retrieved 19 March 2022.