State sends ‘Silicosis Relief, Rehabilitation and Treatment Policy’ to districts

Kolkata: Health department has sent a revised “Silicosis Relief, Rehabilitation and Treatment Policy” to the Chief Medical officer of health (CMoHs) in all the districts after the state Labour department had notified.

The health officials in the districts under this policy will detect silica affected persons, investigate their cases and ensure that chest X-rays are done on the suspected ones. “The health officials will provide treatment, medication, re-examination of the people affected by Silicon and do such other things as may be required for the improvement of the health of the silica affected people,” reads an health department order.

The Health department on the recommendation of the Silicosis Diagnosis Board shall issue an identity card to any worker or person suffering from silicosis and confirmed by the Silicosis Diagnosis Board. In a bid to check silicosis and silico-tuberculosis among the labourers working in various factories including stone and mineral grinding ones, the Health department earlier asked the CMoHs in various western districts to lay emphasis on early detection.

Five districts and two health districts have been directed to hold screening programmes in 26 blocks under their jurisdiction to detect if any labourers are suffering from such diseases. Health department had issued an order to the CMoHs of Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West Burdwan and also two health districts ~ Rampurhat and Basirhat, saying that silicosis patients are vulnerable to pulmonary tuberculosis infection. As both silicosis and silico-tuberculosis are public health problems in our state, it is mandated that all silica exposed populations are screened for diagnosis of Silicosis and Silico-tuberculosis under the framework of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).