KOZHIKODE: After Thursday's detection of two cholera cases in the district, health authorities have decided to organise screening camps for migrant labourers returning after Deewali. The labourers reach here after contracting communicable diseases mostly from out of the state during their sabbatical. “The decision has gone to the panchayat level, and each PHC would conduct screening at the residential camps of migrants,” said the additional DMO, Dr Asha Devi. Both the cholera-afflicted aged 28 and 20 reached here from West Bengal only a few days ago.
One is working at S.M Street and the other in Narikkuni and both got admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH). One had since got discharged.
“In all probability, they got it back home. We had collected the water samples from SM Street and Narikkuni for lab analysis,” said the ADMO. Meanwhile, the corporation slapped a notice on the owner whose building was rented out to migrants at SM Street, where 11 labourers were crammed up in a room. In August, five labourers got hospitalised with symptoms of cholera at KMCH - all natives of West Bengal staying at Thengilakadavu in Mavoor.
Following the outbreak, residents protested against sheltering them in filthy conditions. In July 2016 also, a case of cholera was reported at Edakkad. The district administration had chalked out a project, Garima, to enable them to have a clean and healthy life ensuring good shelters and amenities. Officials would inspect and rate the houses based on eight factors including toilets, availability of drinking water and general hygienic concept.
“The project has just started off and yet to gain momentum,” said an official at district collectorate. As per the estimation of the health department, there are more than 30,000 migrant workers in the district. But sources say the real number could be much higher.
