Amid the dual dangers of dengue and malaria facing the city, the Kolkata Municipal Cooperation is faced with another challenge.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (file photo)
Amid the dual dangers of dengue and malaria facing the city, the Kolkata Municipal Cooperation is faced with another challenge. The issue of tracing the migrant labourers liv- ing at temporary accommodations in various pockets of the city is posing a stumbling block in providing health services to such people.
According to councillor Ellora Saha, there are many migrant labourers from the districts and others who come to her ward and other business hotspots for work. During their temporary stay, they avail health services, including blood tests for dengue and malaria. However, as many of them do not mention a correct address, it is becoming a challenge for the municipal corporation to provide health services properly. The councillor, speaking in the KMC House today, asked if producing Aadhaar cards could be made manda- tory to avoid such difficulties.
Replying to the query, deputy mayor and MMiC health agreed that in bor- oughs IV, V, VI and VII, fighting malaria is a challenge and the situation becomes more challenging particularly in cases of flying labourers. “As per the figures of census in 2011, around seven lakh labourers flock to Kolkata for work every day and return home in the evening. This poses a challenge. I will urge the chief medical officer to issue a circular for compulsorily providing permanent and temporary address during blood tests,” informed the MMiC health.
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