MARGAO, JUNE 14
Hazard a guess why the Margao Urban Health Centre witnessed a huge queue of migrant labourers on Monday morning.
Well, the monsoons have finally arrived and the Urban Health Centre has taken up the work of screening of migrant workers for malaria and health cards in right earnest.
Around 150 migrant labourers, besides women and children, made a queue outside the health centre this morning, waiting for their turn for malaria testing and vaccination.
Health officials led by the Health Officer, Dr Geeta Kakodkar attended to the migrants and even recalled the field staff to the office to meet the heavy rush of migrants.
As inquiries revealed that most of migrant labourers had no health cards, the health authorities noted down details of the workers, and have assured to provide the cards immediately.
Says Urban Health Officer, Dr Geeta Kakodkar: “Most of the labourers hailed from the eastern state of Orissa. The health officials tested them for malaria and administered them the treatment. The drive was part of the awareness drive undertaken by the health office during the monsoon season”.
She said the migrant labourers were vaccinated today and will be soon provided with the mandatory health cards by her office. “We have taken precautionary measures to ensure that the malaria situation is kept a bay this season. The health office does not want to take any chances over the outbreak of vector borne diseases in the Commercial Capital”, she added.
The Margao Urban Health office has recently received a pat on its bag, right from the Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat to the Margao Municipal Chief Savio Coutinho for the sincere work put in to combat vector borne diseases in the city.
In fact, health officials said the sustained campaign by the Margao Health office has helped to keep the number of malaria and dengue cases under check in recent times.
