BHUBANESWAR: Migrants stranded at different places now face two challenges - fear of an unknown virus and hunger pangs.With people from unorganised sector facing existential crisis due to the economic impact following an extended lockdown, availing food (forget nutrition) has become a daunting task for them.As lakhs of migrants are stacked in different camps in the State, health and nutrition experts have flagged that food-borne and water-borne diseases can easily reach epidemic proportions among migrants in camps or those stranded at different places in the State.
While on the move, people are more likely to experience disrupted supplies of safe food and water. They are more prone to carry contaminated food ingredients, cook improperly or eat stale food.Additional Professor of Community Medicine and Family Medicine at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Dr Binod Patro said with hardly any roadside eateries open, people cycled, walked and even travelled in trucks and buses for days together without adequate food.
A recent rapid assessment on migrants by Gram Vikas in partnership with the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development revealed that around 5 per cent (pc) of them did not have shelter and 6.4 pc workers were unable to have at least two meals a day. While around 25 pc workers did not have any money with them, slightly above 20 pc had less than `2,000 with them.
In post lockdown period, Dr Patro said migrants are at an increased risk of contracting diseases as they lived in overcrowded conditions without the means to follow basic public health measures, including access to proper sanitation at their place of stay. Their condition aggravates due to loss of income and health-care insecurity, he pointed out.So far, more than one lakh migrants have returned to Odisha and around 90,000 have been kept in camps here. The State expects over five lakh more migrants in the coming days.
Women and child care
Apart from migrants, women and children - under the age of five - in several districts face shortage of nutritious food during lockdown. There was hardly any admission in the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) in the State during the last two months.“With over 40 per cent (pc) children between 6 months and 5 years and nearly 50 pc women aged 15-49 in the State anaemic, women and children are the hardest hit. While iron deficiency can compound the effects of anaemia, Vitamin A and Zinc are necessary to prevent infections and impaired immune responses,” said Basanta Kumar Kar, a nutrition expert.
Apart from regular food intake, essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are necessary to prevent mortality, morbidity and to increases immunity which are most vital at this stage.Authorities at the Women and Child Development department claimed the State Government has directed all districts to look into the nutritional aspects among migrants kept in camps, quarantine centres and affected population.
Citing that managing nutrition and convergent services for children and women, particularly Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) and pregnant and nursing ones in such camps could be a challenge, Director of ICDS and Social Welfare Aravind Agarwal has asked all Collectors to handle the cases efficiently.The district chiefs have been instructed to put in place interventions like complementary feeding, micronutrients/deworming and immunisation, care for pregnant, nursing women and newborns, disease surveillance, nutrition emergencies and other services like water, sanitation and hygiene.