Kerala floods: Health Ministry extending all support for relief measures, says JP Nadda

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Sunday said the ministry was extending all support to the relief measures in flood-hit Kerala, where 3,757 medical relief camps had been set up.

“We are monitoring the flood situation in Kerala on a regular basis. Secretary (Health) is in Regular communication with the state health functionaries and monitoring the situation daily through the disease surveillance network,” Nadda said.

The minister said that he had spoken to Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja and was personally monitoring the situation.

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As many as 3,757 medical relief camps had been set up and as requested by the state government, 90 types of medicines in the requested quantity were being sent to Kerala, according to an official statement.

The first tranche of medicines would reach Kerala on Monday. The Health Ministry was also co-ordinating with other states which had committed to providing medicines, so as to augment supplies.

“Health advisories on infectious disease prevention and control, safe drinking water, hygiene measures and vector control had been prepared and shared with the state government,” the statement added.

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While no outbreak of communicable disease had been reported so far, health experts opined that once the flood water start to recede, the environment would be conducive for epidemic prone diseases.

Kerala had been given instructions to switch to daily surveillance and monitoring for epidemic prone diseases for detecting early warning signs of an outbreak, the statement said.

“In consultation with the state government, the centre will deploy teams for rapid health assessment, taking appropriate public health measures to prevent and control outbreak of epidemic prone diseases. Considering the additional burden of disease in the aftermath of the floods, quick response medical teams will also be sent to Kerala to provide emergency medical care,” the statement added.

(With PTI inputs)