In view of the northeast monsoon, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has instructed district, city and municipal health officers to take up facility-level preparedness in flood-prone and low-lying areas.
In a circular, Director of Public Health A. Somasundaram said that in view of the alerts issued by the Indian Meteorological Department and the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall during the monsoon, it is likely that cases including those of Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases, leptospirosis, flu, H1N1, and vector-borne diseases such as dengue, scrub typhus, and leptospirosis exceed the expected numbers.
In-patients in flood-prone facilities should be relocated in advance to the first floor or alternate safe buildings when heavy rainfall or flood warnings are issued. New patients should be admitted only when necessary.
The officers were told to inspect electrical installations, generators, and oxygen supply systems, and ensure their protection from possible water entry. Adequate fuel stock for at least 72 hours of continuous operation must be ensured.
They should identify an alternate health facility at a higher elevation within the same block or nearby area to function as a referral or holding centre if the primary facility becomes inaccessible.
