Thiruvananthapuram: The health department on Saturday cracked down on migrant labour camps across the state ordering the closure of nine besides issuing notices to 1,148 for lacking in basic facilities.
Health squads detected serious ailments among workers including 150 with suspected filariasis, 25 with leprosy, 25 children without any vaccination worth the name and 307 with partial vaccination.
At 54 places, banned tobacco products were found to have been used extensively. Of the nine camps closed, four are in Ernakulam and one each in Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kasargod and Thrissur districts.
At many places the migrant workers were found to be living in extremely unhygienic conditions. Human waste was posing serious health problems in and around the camps besides causing danger to the health of local population and contaminating water sources.
The worst affected were the camps housing 500 metro workers at Cheranalloor and Thirumala in Thiruvannathpauram which had 600 inmates. Completely inhuman conditions existed in these areas.
The health department had entrusted 1,032 teams with the inspections. Raids were carried out as part of the health department’s Safe Kerala programme to control and prevent infectious diseases ahead of the ensuing monsoon season.
According to health officials, workers infected with malaria and filariasis were continuing to arrive from various north Indian states and their number was growing by the day. There have been reports of reappearance of many infectious disease from these states which was of serious concern for Kerala.
It was found that the migrant workers had been lodged in camps with no basic facilities. Though the health officials had carried out similar inspections with the help of labour and police departments in previous years and had also taken certain remedial measures, situation is back to square one at many places.
Health officials said in view of the fast deteriorating situation, immediate steps were required in disease control, detection and prevention.
The day-long inspections were carried out under the supervision of health Services director Dr N. Sridhar. additional director Dr Srilatha, deputy director Dr Minakshi and Safe Kerala state nodal officer P. K. Raju monitored the inspections at various places while DMOs, health inspectors and other officials led the campaign in the districts and taluks.
