Jodhpur | March 30, 2016: Despite regular screening of the mine workers and certification of silicosis through the Pneumoconiosis Board, the number of the patients suffering from this occupational disease has not been showing any sign of decline.

It has been almost 3 years since the board was constituted by the state government for certification of the silicosis patients with a view to facilitate them for compensation. But the swarm of the patients is unabated and the sole reasons in absence of any fool-proof preventive mechanism.

Member of the board in Jodhpur, Dr Gopal Purohit said that the first and the third Fridays have been scheduled for the screening of the patients of silicosis and 40-60 patients are diagnosed with silicosis.

According to a rough estimate, there are about 1.25 lakh mine labourers engaged in the stone industry and they hardly take any precaution while working in mine like wet drilling, usage of masks and etc.

According to Purohit, unless the preventive measures are ensured, these workers will continue to fall in the grip of silicosis, which is absolutely an incurable disease. "We do not have any medicine for this disease. What we prescribe them is the course for just the symptomatic relief," he said.

The certification entitles them for the compensation of Rs. 1 lakh on diagnosis of the disease and Rs. 3 lakh in case of death caused by this occupational disease.

Recently, the medical and health minister Rajendra Rathore has said in the assembly that so far over Rs. 43 crore have been disbursed under the silicosis compensation. But the government has not been showing any concern about the preventive measures.

Managing Trustee of Mine Labour Protection Campaign said that unless there was strong preventive mechanism, you could not stop the number of silicosis patients to be stable if not decrease.

"Despite, the histories of silicosis in their families, or even deaths, other members of the family or wards continue to work in the mines and continue falling prey to silicosis. Neither do they consider any other occupation nor the mine owners or the contractors consider invocation of preventive measures," he said.

According to Dr. Purohit, alarming scenario is that the age of the patients. "We have been having patients with as low age as 20-21 years, who despite knowing the cause of the disease choose this work only," he said.

In his maiden meeting in Jodhpur, chairman of the State Human Rights Commission Prakash Tatia took up the issue and reiterated the need of a concerted study on the measures to prevent the silicosis among the mine workers. The District Collector has also given directions in a recently held meeting to ensure wet drilling in the mines but these preventive measures have not taken either the mine owners or the contractors in all seriousness about the issue.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)