With malaria cases on the rise among migrant labourers and a majority of them set to travel to their home state during Navarathri, the District Medical Office as a precautionary measure is conducting an awareness programme and medical camp for migrant labourers across the district.
The programme will be inaugurated in Kuttippadam in Vengola at 10 am on Friday. Camps will also be held in all block and primary health centres across the district.
A large number of migrant labourers reside in Perumbavoor.
The authorities of industries and other units employing the labourers have been directed to send them to the camp. Screening will be done for leprosy and filariasis too. A team of medical officers and the DMO will be participating in the camp.
“The District Medical Officer will inaugurate the programme. All the block primary health centres across the district will be organising health camps for migrant labourers. We have been conducting about 45 health camps for migrant labourers,” said additional DMO Dr Haseena.
A large make-shift tent has been put up for the event and over 500 migrant labourers are expected to participate.
The district medical officers will also visit industries where migrant labourers are working and conduct check-ups, she said.
Incidence of malaria has been noted ever since migrant labourers started arriving in the state. Though cases are rare in Kerala it is rampant in other states and migrant labourers returning to the state after home visits are bound to carry the virus. Unless it is detected early and treated it may lead to death.
This year no death has been reported due to the precautionary measures taken but 90 cases of malaria has been reported in the district. Malaria can be cured by chloroquine which is given in other states. But when labourers approach medical stores for medicines for fever, they are given paracetamol which is not a cure for the disease.
Awareness is being created that chloroquine is available free of cost at all primary health centres. Banners and posters in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and Oriya about tackling the disease will be put up, said Sumayya M, District Malaria Officer.