Govt gears up to meet health situation in flood-hit AP

Hyderabad, Aug 10 (UNI) To deal with emerging health problems in the wake of recent floods, an action plan to intensify surveillance and treatment had been drawn up by the Medical and Health Department.

While the entire machinery has been alerted and activated in the last one week, it has been felt that efforts need to be scaled up and all the affected population should be given timely medical attention and relief, according to an official release here tonight.

While there 310 medical camps today, it is proposed to increase them to 457 with a greater coverage in East Godavari, West Godavari and Khammam.

While 303 medical officers have been deployed till now, an additional 300 doctors would be pressed into service by redeploying doctors from various hospitals within the district.

Similarly, while 2089 paramedical staff have been deployed, the number would be increased to 4,000.

Orders have been issued to distribute 50 lakh chlorine tablets being distributed today. A decision has been taken to chlorinate all the wells in the affected villages.

Approximately, 10,000 wells are likely to be chlorinated to prevent waterborne diseases in these areas. One week after the water recedes, intensive spraying operations will begin and 1000 litres of Baytex and 500 litre of Abate would be utilized for this purpose.

Round the clock epidemic control room in the director of health office with additional director (CD), joint director (epidemic) and one medical officer and other paramedical staff and round the clock epidemic cell at district level with rapid action team, medical officer and paramedical staff are in place.

Adequate medicines are now available to meet any medical emergency in each of these districts. However, as a measure of abundant caution, orders have been issued to all the drug depots in each of these districts to supply whatever drugs are intended without any budgetary limits.

An amount of Rs three lakh in addition to Rs five lakh already released would be placed at the disposal of the DM&HOs for meeting any unforeseen contingency, it added.

About 7,500 kg of bleaching powder is available in each district.

500 ayush dispensaries are also fully involved in these programme.

Adequate Homeo and Ayurveda medicines have been made available.

Senior officers of the department have been made as nodal officers to monitor and provide supportive supervision for the entire medical relief and operations.

UNI SM GM VA VC2345