About
5,000 foreign workers employed by farmers in Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk are
eligible for health services provided at clinics run by the Grand River
Community Health Centre.
“These
workers are outside in the hot sun doing very manual, often repetitive tasks,”
says Eliseo Martell, health promoter with the centre.
Ailments
such as muscle strains and pulls from continual bending over in fields, skin
irritations, sun overexposure, allergies, and eye irritants are common, he
said.
“In
addition to the physical ailments, social isolation can also be a factor affecting
workers well-being,” said social worker Guillermo Rodriguez.
This
season is the fourth year that the Grand River Community Health Centre, along
with numerous community partners, has offered primary health services to assist
the workers.
The
clinics provide primary health care and health promotion services, including
blood pressure checks, monitoring of blood glucose, medication refills if
needed, and counseling for psycho-social distress. Spanish-speaking staff will
be on hand to assist with translation.
Three
drop-in seasonal agricultural worker health clinics are available:
· Simcoe at Real
Canadian Super Store – Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30-9 p.m.
· Delhi at Delhi
Community Health Centre – Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays 9-1 p.m.
· Brantford by
Canadian Tire – Fridays from 5-8:30 p.m. (beginning June 16)
“These
seasonal workers pay taxes in Canada and also contribute to the Canada Pension
Plan while they are here, so this means these workers are eligible to receive
healthcare while in our country.” said Janet Noble, director of primary care
and community health at Grand River CHC.
“I
was recently at a forum where the speaker noted that without these workers, our
agricultural industry would collapse,” she said.
