PANJIM: The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has proposed an amendment to Goa State Public Health Act to empower it to screen all the workers working in the State for vector-borne diseases and impose a fine if they do not possess a health card provided by the government.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Dr Kalpana Mahatme, Health Officer in-charge of national vector borne disease programme, said, “Goa Public Health Act has helped us in checking indigenous cases of malaria but now we have sought an amendment to it.”
Dr Mahatme said, “What happens is that we screen those who work at hotels or shacks and if we find them without a health card we impose a fine on the contractor or the hotel owner. But we have no power to punish daily wage workers if they do not have health cards. There is a lot of influx of workers. We screen them but they are not given health cards nor are they punished if they do not have them. So request for an amendment has been sent to include all the workers whether working in organised sector or unorganised one to make their screening compulsory as many of them come for high endemic states.”
“The Act should apply to all the workers whether from Goa or somewhere else. The proposal has been sent to the Law Department. We have sought amendment to sections 75 and 75 AA of Goa Public Health Act. The sections state that all workers should be screened for vector-borne disease and have a health card. And if they are found without the health card, then the contractor can be fined. The fine is Rs 10,000 for one worker. But this does not apply to other workers who do not work under any contractor. For example, daily wage workers who are used to doing manual work,” she said.