JUMMEC, 1998;3:60-61.

Abstract

This section only examines the clinical findings and some blood chemistly in these workers. A total of 222 men and 28 women were studied. Their ages ranged from 12 to 57 years, the mean being 30.1 (±7.4). Generally most of the physical examination was normal and no external features of infectious diseases were seen. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 120 (±13) and 76(±8.7) nun Hg respectively. About 8.4% of the population had elevated blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or greater. About 12.4% of these man and women were underweight (Body mass index (EMI) less than 19 kg/m2) while 11.2% were either overweight or obese (BMI>25) with the mean being 21.8 (±2.7). Only 3 had BMI greater than 30. Three subjects had a lnitral regurgitation murmur thought to be due to mitral valve prolapse. Four others had tinea cruris, six had insignificant axillary lymph-nodes, five had cervical lymph-nodes of which one was due to carcinoma of the tonsil 30 with shotty inguinal lymph-nodes which was thought to of no pathological significance. Four subjects had crepitations and five had rhonchi in their lungs. A full blood count revealed that 16.65% of the man and 32.1°/o of the women had haemoglobin levels of less than 14gm/dl and 12gm/dl respectively. The most striking abnormality was the high prevalence of eosinophilia. 37% of the subjects had eosinophilia counts of greater than 450/dl. About 19.4% of this study population had fasting blood glucose of greater than 6mmol/l but only 1.3% with fasting blood glucose of greater than 7.8 mmo/l. About 22% of the urine examined revealed pro- teinuria but were otherwise unremarkable for the other parameters. This group of foreign workers was made up of a presumably fairly healthy young population. Attempts to look for infectious disease on physical examination, not surprisingly did not reveal any remarkable findings. It could be that the majority of these subjects already had a examination prior to coming into the country and another one soon after arrival. However an indirect measurement of infectious diseases via the eosinophilic count revealed a high prevalence of parasitic infestations. Attempts to examine the end results of social hardship, be it intrinsic before or appearing after arrival indirectly shoved some degree of suffering. There was a fairly high prevalence of anaemia, especially amongst the women. The body mass index also revealed this population to be generally less obese than other populations. The value of medical check-ups has been debated, especially if it were done as a pre-employment procedure. This pilot study has shown that it is not cost-effective to do physical examination or blood chem- istry and urine analysis in hying to identify infectious diseases in the migrant workers. In the light of the paucity of clinical findings in this pilot study, it would be prudent to review the strategy for examining the health status of migrant workers. Perhaps the physical examination can be dispensed with, and blood andurine analysis beveryfocused and directedin order to maximise the cost- effectiveness of this programme. Certainly the high prevalence of eosinophilia needs further evalua- tion.