The State has decided to allow Government employees suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular ailments and respiratory disorders to work from home till July 31 — a step aimed at ensuring safety of staff at Government offices as individuals suffering from the aforementioned ailments were at a higher risk of getting infected by the virus.
Citing reasons for the decision, officials from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on Wednesday said that the mortality rate too was higher among such individuals if they get infected, officials added.
“We have issued a notification asking employees suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular problems and respiratory disorders to work from home till July 31,” said Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms Secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh. “A sizeable number of Government employees have one or more of the mentioned health conditions. The decision of allowing them to work from home was taken to ensure their safety,” he added.
Government offices in State started functioning from middle of April, sources said. The Government had then prohibited the use of biometric attendance at Government offices and also asked employees staying far away from offices to work from home.
There are more than 3 lakh Government employees in Jharkhand. All Government offices across the state have made thermal screening of employees mandatory. Besides, employees with comorbid conditions have been asked to take extra precautions.
“The employees suffering from ailments related to heart, blood sugar and respiratory system can send a requisition to their concerned reporting manager seeking work from home on the basis of their medical condition,” said Singh.
The Government last week extended the lockdown in Jharkhand till July 31. However, most of the government offices did not come under the purview of this extended lockdown, and therefore employees at government offices had to attend office in person every day, officials said.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), Covid-19 virus can be particularly dangerous for people suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.