Migrant labourers may be H1N1 carriers

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As the H1N1 threat looms over Kochi, the tens of thousands of migrant labourers who arrive here every day take the centre of attention yet again.

Health officials believe job aspirants who reach the city without any medical check-ups are the major carriers of diseases from other states.

However, the health department is yet to launch a comprehensive health check-up for arriving migrant labourers.

Once they step on the soil here, they dissolve into the busy crowds, giving little chance for the authorities to trace them.

“The arrival of migrant labourers without medical inspection is a matter of concern for health officials here.” said the district health officer P.N. Sreenivasan.

“Screening all the people who reach Kochi is quite an impossible process. However, the police are now taking the initiative of collecting the details of labourers here, which I hope will benefit the health sector,” he added.

The migrant labourers are also faced with language barriers in accessing health care on time and this facilitates the spread of the disease.

According to statistics from the health department, there are around 90,000 migrant labourers in Ernakulam district, and the number is increasing drastically.