The Union health ministry has rushed teams of doctors and a stockpile of life-saving medicines to the flood-hit Uttarakhand.
The three teams of doctors comprise a microbiologist and an epidemiologist each, apart from other specialists. “In disaster situations there is a chance of an outbreak, epidemiologists and microbiologists will keep an eye on infections, and the psycho-social analysts will handle stress cases,” said Dr Jagdish Prasad, director general (DG), health services.
So far, there is no report of any outbreak, said sources in the health ministry.
But, once the water starts receding, there will be a spurt in water-borne and mosquito-borne diseases. Uttarakhand’s acting DG, health, Dr GS Joshi, too, said there were no symptoms of epidemic yet. “Efforts are being made to avoid it,” he said. Chlorine balls for cleaning water and bleaching powder to oxidise bodies has been sent to Uttarkashi and Chamoli, he said.
‘DON’T FORGET THE DEAD’
The National Disaster Management Authority’s pointsman VK Duggal has told the Uttarakhand government not to forget the dead. The advice came after a high-level meeting in Delhi that saw central agencies pointing to the slow pace of disposing of the bodies.