MARGAO
The migrant crew has started trickling in at South Goa’s largest fishing hub “ the Cutbona fishing jetty.
Information reveals that close to 800 labourers must have already reported to work at the fishing jetty ahead of the commencement of the new fishing season, beginning from August 1.
The moot question doing the rounds at the Cutbona fishing jetty is “ have the health team made its presence felt at the jetty to screen the migrant labourers for malaria and dengue.
Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, who is a boat owner operating from Cutbona, said he has not come across health teams stationed at the jetty. Other boat owners too pointed out that the health team is yet to be stationed at the jetty to screen the migrant labourers.
Balli Primary Health Officer Dr Mamata Kakodkar, however, claimed that PHC health workers visit the jetty every alternate day, further saying it’s not possible to station a health team permanently at the Cutbona jetty for want of manpower.
While the migrant labourers are presumed to have been subjected to Covid testing at the state borders or at the railway stations before descending on the jetty, screening of the labourers for malaria and dengue has not commenced in a big way at the Cutbona fishing jetty.
The Cutbona fishing jetty plays host to around 4000 migrant labourers during the peak fishing season. Screening of these labourers has always posed a problem for the health officials, more so when the fishing vessels venture out in the sea from August 1.
Against this backdrop, sources say the health team should have made its presence felt at the fishing jetty around this time, when the migrant labourers have started arriving at the jetty.
Says Velim Sarrpanch Savio D’Silva: “We do not know where the health workers are operating from at the jetty, if they say that they are visiting the jetty every alternate day? They may be visiting the jetty every alternate day, but this is the time before the start of the fishing season the health team could have very well screened the workers. From August 1, the fishing vessels will venture out in the sea and it will be impossible for the health team to screen the labourers”.
He added: “Even assuming the PHC is sending the team to the jetty every alternate day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there will be no health workers at the jetty on Saturday and Sunday when the fishing season begins”.
Balli Primary Health Officer, Dr Kakodkar pointed out that manpower constraints do not permit the PHC to station a team at the Cutbona jetty. “The worker which was entrusted with the work at the jetty stands transferred. In view of the Covid pandemic, we have deployed all out workers for Covid work, including vaccination. Sending a dedicated team of health workers to the jetty every day may not be possible given the prevailing circumstances”, she said.
Dr Kakodkar said a meeting with the boat owners will be held soon, wherein the issue of screening of the migrant labourers will be discussed threadbare to work out a solution.
