- Hello Jeff - Although this article refers to the UAE,
some of the things the UAE doctors recommend might well be prudent to implement
here. The exact same conditions can be found here...including unhealthy
living conditions where illegals live in crowded quarters can cause the
spread of diseases.
-
- In the US, many of the working illegals are working in
our food industry, on farms, in supermarkets, and our restaurant, etc.
-
- Patty
-
-
- Shun 'Illegals' To Avoid Infections, Say Doctors
- By Adel Arafah
- khaleejtimes.com
- 10-30-7
-
- ABU DHABI -- Doctors in the
UAE have cautioned citizens and residents against harbouring and employing
illegal workers to protect themselves from infections of various kinds.
-
- The doctors urged the municipalities and relevant authorities
to intensify inspections of workers' accommodations, many of which lack
proper hygiene because of over-crowding of rooms. Such places are a breeding
ground for communicable skin and chest diseases, hepatitis and HIV infections,
and other life-threatening diseases.
-
- Dr Samir Gobia, a family medicine specialist in the Ministry
of Health, stressed the urgent need for aggressive awareness campaigns
in the media for educating the public about the dangers of mingling with
illegal workers, especially following the absconding of increasing number
of housemaids from their employers and the increasing number of women working
at coffee shops.
-
- He called for the introduction of mobile clinics in the
areas which many of the violators frequent, like the immigration offices,
Ministry of Labour offices or community clubs in order to detect people
suffering from communicable or infectious diseases.
-
- Dr Mazen Naji, Director of Zayed Complex for Herbal Research
and Traditional Medicine urged the public to exercise caution when dealing
with pharmaceutical products and medicines marketed and sold by some sources,
especially those purportedly made of natural sources with claims of healing
physical and sexual disorders, including impotence.
-
- Gastroenterologist Dr Saeed Al Sheikh indicated that
most of the 'illegals' were working at sites which did not comply with
occupational health requirements, like construction sites.
-
- Dr Ali Al Sayed, a liver specialist at Al Noor Hospital,
appealed to people not to employ workers who did not have health fitness
certificates. Dr Tigani Shaib, a venereologist and dermatologist, noted
that various diseases could easily be communicated from one person to another
in mass accommodation facilities.
-
- Intensive care specialist Dr Mohammed Khamis of Salama
Hospital believed that sexually-transmitted diseases are the most dangerous
of risks that the illegal workers could face or communicate.
-
- Dr Zeinab Khaza'al, Director Preventive Medicine, Health
Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), spoke about regulations introduced to protect
the community from communicable diseases. "All workers residing in
the country legally were screened. However, in some cases, housemaids have
absconded from their sponsors without undergoing medical examinations.
Police have been informed about such cases," she added.
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also my new website:
http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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