KOTA KINABALU, Nov 13 — The authorities must control the influx of illegal immigrants (PATI) due to the recorded increase in diseases which are highly contagious brought in by this group into the country.

Deputy Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis (TB) now showed a significant increase and were feared to be transmitted to the local people if left unchecked.

“What is worrying is, for example, when screening is conducted on foreign workers, say about 30,000 illegal immigrants and only one-third pass the test then the rest must be sent back. But we do not know their position that most of them have infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria.

“In this regard, the security must address the matter to ensure that illegal immigrants who carry these diseases must leave the country,” he told reporters after officiating at the 8th Sabah Public Health Colloquium 2013 and 1st Regional Public Health Conference here, today.

Dr Hilmi said that in some cases, the government had to accept the arrival of immigrants, especially during emergencies such as childbirth other than bear the medical subsidy for those working in the country.

Previously, Bernama reported Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam  as saying that the influx of foreign workers was among the causes of tuberculosis in the country.

“Fifty-eight cases were recorded for a population of 100,000 in 1995 and 63 cases for the same population in 2008 that is 16,000 cases per year. It rose to 18,000 cases in 2010.

“In 2011, a total of 20,000 cases was reported and had resulted in 1,600 deaths,” said Dr Subramaniam.

A total of 360 participants attended the two-day colloquium and conference, organised by the State Health Department in collaboration with the Penampang Health Office, which ends tomorrow. — Bernama