Kerala floods: Epidemic threat grips flooded areas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department in the state is anticipating the worst ever epidemic threat in the flood-affected areas. “So far the scene is fine but any time we can expect it,” said health minister K K Shailaja.

To support the health department, the World Health Organization (WHO) has send a 13-member team to the state. “All these officials will be deployed in various districts and they will function as surveillance officers to guide the health team,” said additional chief secretary (health) Rajeev Sadanandan.

The state health department has decided to set up medical camps in all the flood-affected areas and medical teams have covered all the relief centres. In all the panchayats of the floodhit areas the health department will set up one more consulting centre in addition to the existing primary health centres, said the health minister.

“We are getting the support of doctors working in the private sector who are doing free service at the relief camps. Hence there is no manpower shortage as of now. Already 200% of drugs have been procured by Kerala Medical Services Corporation. Various collection centres have been set up to collect the drugs being donated. These will be supplied only after proper inspection,” said Sadanandan.

Junior public health nurses and junior public health inspectors will be screening all those who are in the relief camps. The ASHA workers will be conducting a door-to-door survey in those areas where the people have not been shifted to the relief camps.

“The biggest threat faced is not at the relief camps but when they go back home. All the drinking water sources have been contaminated and the worst fear of epidemic threat is from the water they use. Chlorination is the most important factor the people will have to do first when they are back. The houses have to be cleaned thrice of four times with bleaching power to make the place disinfectant,” said IMA state secretary Dr N Sulphi, who is spearheading the health care in the relief camps.

Hence the health department has decided to give focus on the cleaning of the houses as a top priority. “Already self-help groups in several panchayats are doing a lot to help the people. They, along with local bodies, will begin the cleaning process from Tuesday. It has been decided to constitute one team per hundred houses,” said health minister K K Shailaja.

The other cause of worry for the health machinery is the fact that whether people with any kind of fever or other epidemics have reached the relief centres. Hence it has been decided to screen the people in the relief centres. “This is being done since already chicken pox cases were reported in flood affected areas. We will have to isolate them first, if there is any case. For this, isolation wards have been set up in all the hospitals in these regions,” added Sadanandan.