GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
have been reporting at the Cutbona fishing jetty to work on the fishing vessels.
Sadly, not a single migrant worker hailing from these malaria endemic states have been screened by the health authorities till date. And, neither a health card has been issued to any of the migrant workers, who have descended at the Cutbona fishing jetty so far.
And, the Health department and the boat owners
are engaged in a blame-game, accusing each other for the situation.
The Health department claimed that it cannot be blamed for the prevailing situation for the simple reason that though a health team from the nearby Balli Primary Health Centre is camping at the Cutbona jetty, the boat owners have not brought the migrant labour for screening.
Balli PHC Sanitary Inspector, Tulsidas Naik told The Goan that a three-member team has been stationed at the Cutbona fishing jetty since the last three days for screening of the migrant workers, but hastened to add that not a single worker has been screened till date. "We are helpless. The boat owners should cooperate with the health officials. My office had sent correspondence to the boat owners union as well as the office of the Deputy Collector, Margao informing them that a health team will be stationed at the jetty for screening, but in vain," Tulsidas said.
Cutbona Boat Owners Union president Savio D'Silva, who also heads the Velim village panchayat as the Sarpanch, told The Goan that the boat owners cannot be blamed if the workers have not been screened yet.
Savio demanded to know how the Health department can point accusing fingers at the boat owners for the situation when the health team is not seen around at the jetty, adding the health team ought to have made its presence felt at the jetty before the commencement of the season.
"The health team ought to have made its presence couple of days before the commencement of the fishing season when the migrant labourers were idle at the jetty. Today, they sail on the vessels early morning and report back at the jetty only late in the evening. The health workers must be coming to the jetty during the day and return back after office hours. Let the health team work out a mechanism to screen the workers instead of pushing the blame on the doorsteps of the boat owners,"
Savio added.
Screening of the migrant workers descending at the Cutbona fishing jetty was debated at the Sunday gram sabha wherein members demanded that the village panchayat should take up on priority with the Health department and other authorities the screening of the workers without delay, recalling how Cutbona had witnessed an outbreak of dengue around the jetty area over two years ago.
