Rehabilitation of Silicosis Victims of District Karauli, Rajasthan, India

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to assess the reach of medico-social and economic programs to the silicosis victims in Karauli. The district is infamous for large-scale unregulated sandstone mining, a pulmonary hazard, causing silicosis, a debilitating occupational disease compensable under Indian laws. METHODOLOGY: A sample of 250 silicosis cases from 38 villages were randomly recruited and interviewed from four different sites. RESULTS: The study reports that 99% of sandstone miners came from marginalized poor communities, had large families, and lived in mud houses. Victims' linkage to their entitlements and welfare programs was poor (51%). Victims (43%) continue to work as casual laborers including in mining sector due to economic compulsions. Greater than 68% of the laborers were wrongly treated for tuberculosis (TB) prior to their diagnosis, >50% go out of the state or cities for better treatment, and 60% of cases had not received their compensation from the government. Among those who received compensation, only 4% spent money for productive purposes and 44% victims were not in a position to work due to health difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Silicosis has affected the poorest of the poor; victims are wrongly diagnosed and treated for TB. The district is not equipped to deal with the health problems of the victims, forcing them to seek treatment in other states and cities. In conclusion, the impact of rehabilitation programs in the district is ineffective and inadequate and has limited reach. Findings of the study will have far-reaching implications for informed policymaking on the rehabilitation of silicosis victims in the state.