Casual leave of doctors in Punjab's flood hit areas cancelled

Chandigarh, Aug 19 (UNI) Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla today directed all the Civil Surgeons to take immediate steps to control the outbreak of water borne diseases especially in the flood affected areas of the state and ordered the cancellation of casual leaves of doctors posted in flood affected areas.

Funds amounting to Rs 1.06 crore had been allocated to all the Civil Surgeons in the state for medicines, insecticidal spray and POL (Petrol Oil Lubricants).

The minister said that the medicines required for water borne diseases, skin diseases, respiratory infections, malaria and insect bites had been made available in abundance in all the hospitals of Punjab . She further asked the officers at the districts headquarters to remain ready and vigilant for any emergent situation.

She said that control rooms had also been established at all district headquarters and at sub-divisional levels. Static and mobile medical teams in fully equipped ambulances and with medicines and life saving drugs had been constituted and stationed at vulnerable points.

Prof Chawla said that to ensure safe drinking water to the people in the affected areas adequate number of samples of drinking water had been taken for analysis in the identified flood affected areas. Chlorination of drinking water would be ensured.

She said that large number of chlorine tablets had been made available for distribution in flood affected areas as well as in rural areas during the rainy season to check water borne diseases.

Although the flood situation was well under control but the state government as a precautionary measure, cancellef the casual leaves of all medical and para-medical staff in the flood prone areas till further orders.

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