To prevent spread of swine flu, Ganjam district health officials have decided to check health of the migrant workers who would return home, mainly from Gujarat, to attend the upcoming ‘Danda Nata, a folk dance festival of the district. “We will try our best to prevent spread of swine flu by migrant workers. We will keep track of their return, mainly from Gujarat where the disease has affected many. If possible, we will sensitise them at railway stations and advise those who would be found with swine flu symptoms,” said officials.
According to reports, some labourers recently returned from Surat to participate in Danda Nata that starts from third week of this month and ends on Maha Bishubha Sankranti on April 14. Around seven lakh Odia workers, mostly from Ganjam, work in textile mills and diamond cutting industries in Surat and Ahmedabad respectively, according to the officials.
The H1N1 virus, which causes swine flu, spreads in cold conditions which have mostly been disappeared in the district as the maximum temperature is already hovering between 33 and 35 degree Celsius. Recently, a 56-year-old woman from Aska Road died of swine flu at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. She had travelled to north India before falling sick.