As many as 40 mining personnel of an outsourced mining company working for Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) were found Corona positive according to a medical report issued by the health department late Wednesday night.

Most of the workers of Indu outsourced mining company operating at Monodih project area of BCCL were found positive. This is for the first time that a large number of workers associated with coal mining was tested and have been found positive.

On Thursday the miners colony having residence of the outsourced mining staff of the company as well as neighbouring Dubraidih village under Monodih police outpost area were sealed by the health authorities in  cooperation with Monodih police after pinpointing the miners colony as a containment zone.

The project office and GM office of the Monodih project were sanitized, following recovery of the high numbers of positive cases including one officer. It’s being claimed that since the protocol for operation of mines during the Corona period is not being followed by the outsourced mining company administration, a huge number of its staff have turned positive.

In another drive deputy commissioner Uma Shankar Singh on Thursday inaugurated 50beds Covid hospital at Bhuli regional hospital of BCCL.

BCCL CMD PM Prasad and other senior officers of the company too were present during the inauguration.

The DC also inspected ongoing work for converting the railway regional training centre as Covid Hospital. Singh said, with this now 350 beds are available for Covid patients in Dhanbad and soon the numbers would reach 500 beds.

Talks for providing beds on a paid basis for asymptomatic patients in private nursing homes and hotels are being held in the district.

“Talks with hotel owners and private nursing homes were held and they had a positive response. The arrangement is being made as it has been found that 30 to 40 per cent of positive patients, who can afford to pay for such facilities,” said Singh.