'4 more daycare centres for endosulfan victims'

Four additional daycare centres will be set up in the district, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said on Wednesday.

He addressed officers at the Endosulfan victims’ rehabilitation’s executive committee meeting organised at DC’s office on Wednesday.

The DC said that two daycare centres were functioning in Kokkada and Koila. Additional daycare centres would be opened at Panaje in Puttur, Bellare in Sullia, Kaniyoor in Belthangady and Vittal in Bantwal taluk.

All medical facilities would be provided to endosulfan victims under one roof, at the daycare centres, Senthil added.

There are 556 endosulfan victims with below 25% disability. As many as 52 people were suffering from cancer. The DC directed officials to submit a proposal for sanctioning monthly honorarium for them. The private medical colleges that conduct special health camps for the endosulfan victims should distribute medicines on the spot, the DC added.

DK Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Selvamani R said the skill training centre for endosulfan victims in Ujire would start functioning at the earliest. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Ramakrishna Rao said that there were 4,227 endosulfan victims in the district, of which monthly honorariums were sanctioned to 3,519 people. As many as 152 endosulfan victims had died in the district, he added.