Mansukh Mandaviya Reviews Steps Taken To Deal With Cyclone Biparjoy

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday reviewed the measures being taken by the Centre and the Gujarat administration to deal with cyclone Biparjoy.

Cyclone Biparjoy, a "very severe cyclonic storm", is expected to cross the Gujarat coast on June 15.

Eight thousand people have been evacuated from within ten kilometres of the Gujarat coast and shifted to safer locations, the health minister said.

Mandaviya said all agencies, including the central and state governments, the forces and disaster management authorities were working together to minimise the impact of the extremely severe storm.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is in continuous communication with its regional offices in all States of the Western Coast (including Gujarat) with instructions to provide requisite support to the states in their preparedness for the cyclone. So far, no such request has been communicated to the Health Ministry.

Six multi-disciplinary Central Quick Response Medical Teams [pooled in from Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi; LHMC, New Delhi; Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi; AIIMS (New Delhi); AIIMS (Jodhpur) and AIIMS (Nagpur)] are kept ready to be mobilised in the event of any requirements for the same for providing emergency care and services. Besides, teams from NIMHANS, Bengaluru are also on standby to provide psychosocial care and aid to any affected population.

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in all states has been tasked to conduct post-disaster disease surveillance through the state/district surveillance units for timely detection of any disease outbreak of any epidemic-prone diseases in the aftermath of the cyclone. In case of any logistic requirement by the States, M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd. has been tasked with supply of the same.

"The Union Health Ministry continues to closely monitor the cyclone situation and is taking all necessary measures to be prepared for any health emergencies," an official press release said.