With heavy rainfall and flooding in several districts of Maharashtra over the past few days, the public health department is gearing up to tackle potential disease outbreaks.
The department has set up round-the-clock control rooms at the district and state level and as many as 496 medical squads have been constituted to handle rain-related outbreak of diseases. Dedicated health teams have been appointed to provide treatment to the people at ‘Help Camps’. Multiple other preventive measures have been taken to prevent the spread of vector-borne, waterborne and other diseases, officials said.
A district-level officer will visit flooded/flood-prone areas and issue directions for the prevention of disease outbreaks in that district. Medical teams have been appointed at ‘Help Camps’ to provide health services to the people. Currently, ‘Help Camps’ are functional in the districts of Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Jalgaon, Akola and Washim. A total 496 medical teams have been appointed in flood-affected areas of the state, officials said.
Village-level health teams have been appointed wherein health officers will conduct door-to-door surveys in affected villages. Drinking water samples will be taken for quality checks to prevent waterborne diseases. Health officials will guide people on maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in the villages. Flood-affected villages with no water supply will be provided water with the help of tankers.
Dr Kailas Baviskar, deputy director of health services, said that the health department is making arrangements for adequate stock of medicines in all districts. “As a preventive measure, people vulnerable to leptospirosis are given Doxycycline medicine. Measures are being taken to prevent the outbreak of diseases in flood-affected areas and conduct regular surveys of patients with fever, diarrhoea and similar ailments. With greater possibility of snake bites post the floods, snake bite medicines have been made available in flood-affected districts,” Dr Baviskar said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Kailas Baviskar, deputy director of health services, said that the health department is making arrangements for adequate stock of medicines in all districts. “As a preventive measure, people vulnerable to leptospirosis are given Doxycycline medicine. Measures are being taken to prevent the outbreak of diseases in flood-affected areas and conduct regular surveys of patients with fever, diarrhoea and similar ailments. With greater possibility of snake bites post the floods, snake bite medicines have been made available in flood-affected districts,” Dr Baviskar said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Baviskar informed that special care and attention is being given to expecting mothers and children. They are being shifted to safe locations and given required medical attention. “Expecting mothers are being provided boiled water for drinking to avoid waterborne diseases like jaundice. To prevent diarrhoea and dysentery in small children, they are being given zinc and other medicines. Public awareness is being raised regarding the prevention of diseases during flood-like situations,” he added.