The measures taken by the Health Department in containing diseases among migrant labourers have started paying.
The district administration and other departments have claimed that “there is a systematic improvement in the living conditions and health indices of migrant workers across the district.” Speaking to City Express, Haseena Mohammed, DMO, said that it was evident in the comparatively low number of fever cases reported among them. “With the coordination of various departments and agencies the Health Department has taken special initiatives to improve the health conditions of migrant labourers. The results are remarkable, especially in curbing vector-borne diseases. In 2012, the district reported 108 cases of malaria among migrant workers. It has come down to 20 cases so far this year. Awareness was created through medical camps,” she said. Health inspectors are monitoring residential areas and work sites. But a close scrutiny reveals that problems persist.
S Krishnamoorthi, district joint secretary, CITU, said, “a good number of migrant workers live in deplorable conditions. The authorities do not have their details as most of employers fail to register all the workers with governmental agencies.” Krishnamoorthi alleged that the inspections at work sites were not regular. “The accommodation facilities have not improved. The most neglected area is sanitation which can lead to outbreak of diseases,” he said.
Arun Antony, project manager, Rajagiri Outreach, said that “a large number of issues need to be addressed immediately. The slums inhabited by them are unhygienic. The employers can be legally charged only if the accommodation provided by them are substandard. So there is a tendency to avoid providing accommodation,” he said. Muhammed Ziyad, DLO, Inspection, said that the Labour Department can only inspect the accommodation facilities only at the work site. “If the residential facilities are provided elsewhere, the health and local bodies have to inspect them,” he said. Language barrier was a major hurdle in reaching out to the them. “Yet the Labour Department is conducting necessary inspections,” he said.