Caritas healing touch to migrant workers

Migrant health takes the backseat when discussing migration as a challenge. This aspect is mainly overlooked as the focus is given more to employment and safety.

A free medical camp is organized by Caritas India with the support of Ernakulam Social Service Society for the migrant workers in the seafood processing unit at Njarakkal Gram Panchayat in Vypin Island, Ernakulam, Kerala. 

Most people working in the unit are migrants from Odisha and Jharkhand mostly women. A good number of them are working here for more than a year. They are the socially and economically backward class working for 12 hours in a day but forced to extend the working hours depending on the availability of prawns and squids.

Caritas India has been working with migrant communities for many years, but this theme has taken priority after the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-action research studies undertaken during COVID-19 reinforced the cause of migrants to the forefront. Ensuring safety and health security of migrant workers programme was initiated to assist, support and protect internal migrant workers in Six District in Kerala such as Batheri, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Kannur, Verapoly, Kottayam and Mandya Districts in Karnataka, Surat District in Gujrat and Pune, Khadki in Maharashtra.

Long working hours and exposure to hazardous working conditions have a detrimental impact on the health of migrant workers. They also live in overcrowded, poorly ventilated spaces because of which contagious diseases and infections quickly spread. They have limited access to healthcare where they work, facing various barriers along the way. Migrants also tend to neglect to access healthcare as it could cost them a day’s wages because of the time spent travelling and at the medical facility. 

This free camp was attended by 65 migrant workers women from the seafood processing units and 4 men from the construction site. The doctor has informed that the workers were majorly diagnosed with Urticaria and other skin diseases, leg pain, joint pain, and irregularity in menstrual cycles. Cetirizine, fungal ointments and iron tablets are the common medicines prescribed.

The medical camp was inaugurated by Fr. Baiju OSJ, the local Parish Priest and attended by Dr. Priyanka Prem MBBS. Mr Titson Devassy, Caritas India Project Extension Officer, Mr Vipin Joe M. J, Project Volunteer & Sr. Celin Local Facilitator and Sr. Mary Thomas SMdC also participated in the inauguration programme.

This programme will strengthen the Community to build resilience and support through vaccination, and health insurance to promote the safety of migrants in the programme sites while upholding the rights of migrant workers and promoting safe migration practices and protection of vulnerable migrants.