MARGAO
Ahead of the new fishing season beginning from August 1, Cutbona fishing jetty is abuzz with activity - migrant workers descending at the jetty; boat owners offering poojas and prayers for a good fishing season; fish agents making their presence felt et al.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, however, one thing has sadly gone missing - no health team is seen around to screen the thousands of migrant labourers descending at the jetty from the malaria endemic states of Jharkhand, Odisha, etc.
In fact, even as hundreds of migrant labourers have reported at the Cutbona jetty till date and thousands more on their way, screening of the migrant workers have still not commenced at the jetty.
Leave alone screening, inquiries by The Goan has revealed that the health personnel from the Balli Primary Health Centre are still to make their presence felt at the jetty for screening of the migrant workers and to issue them the health cards.
Inquiries have further revealed that the Balli PHC team will descend at the Cutbona fishing jetty only on August 1 on the twin plea that the health workers were preoccupied with other health activities and that the fishing season kick-starts only on Tuesday. Questions, however, are being raised in many quarters whether the presence of the health team will help screen the labourers when they are supposed to venture out in the sea for fishing.
When The Goan contacted the Balli PHC for more details, health officials informed that a three-member team will descend on the Cutbona jetty from August 1 - Day one of the new fishing season. The health officials had no answer when their attention was drawn to the fact that the migrant labourers would be onboard the fishing vessels from Tuesday instead of on the jetty.
It is also unclear whether the health centre had made any fresh correspondence with the Cutbona Boat Owners Union requesting the 100-odd boat owners to get their workers to the health department for screening.
Incidentally, Velim villagers - who had in the past expressed concern over the outbreak of dengue at Cutbona - have demanded that the health centre should get the migrant workers screened ahead of the season. Velim Civic and Consumer Forum, Ramona Almeida, said, "We want the Balli PHC, the Velim panchayat and the Cutbona boats owners to work in a coordinated manner to ensure that all the migrant workers are screened ahead of the fishing season," Ramona said.
When The Goan contacted Velim Sarpanch Savio D'Silva, who is also the president of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union to shed light on the screening of migrant workers, he said that boat owners are in favour of screening of the workforce. He, however, hastened to add that the health team should carry out the drive in a sustained manner. "The health team should carry out the exercise not once or twice, but should camp at the jetty till all the workers are screened."
