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With a cyclonic storm expected on May 24, the Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has called for immediate measures to ensure that the existing Covid-19 induced public health challenges are not further compounded. Waterborne and airborne diseases may result from heavy rains expected to hit Odisha, West Bengal and certain districts of the east coast on May 24, he warned in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal & the administrator of the Andaman & Nicobar Island.
Bhushan has asked these administrations to activate the Health Sector Incident Command System and Emergency Operation Centre/ Control Room and identify a nodal officer and convey his contact details to the Health Ministry.
‘Disaster management’
He also asked them to activate the health sector disaster management plan and the Hospital Disaster Management Plan in all the coastal districts of the States. The emergency department preparedness in all these hospitals needs to be reviewed, he added.
Based on the forecast on the morning of May 24, once the landfall and intensity of cyclonic storm is predicted, evacuation of the hospitals in the path of the cyclone in the concerned districts of Odisha/West Bengal and other areas may be planned in advance, he advised.
Meanwhile, advance planning on evacuation from the community and health facilities which are on the path of cyclone, to safer places/bigger hospitals needs to be done. “The District surveillance units and public health teams mobilised for Covid management needs also to be reoriented on possible outbreak of epidemic prone diseases such as influenza, measles, acute diarrhoeal diseases, dysentery, leptospirosis, dengue, malaria, etc,” Bhushan added.
In addition, Health facilities, at all levels, in the affected areas including those identified for Covid treatment needs to be made fully functional with additional human resources drawn from unaffected districts. There should be adequate power back up arrangements for all the hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chain and oxygen generation units and other supportive medical facilities. The availability of water, electricity and fuel for the health facilities in affected districts should be ensured.
Bhushan asked authorities to ensure unhindered movement of oxygen tankers, especially on advance movement of empty tankers by Air Force aircrafts or Indian Railways, ambulance services, medical care and public health interventions planning etc.
“Rapid antigen testing may be taken up in camps followed by RT-PCR testing for symptomatic negatives of Rapid antigen tests. Senior citizens and those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, liver/ kidney, respiratory disease, immuno-compromised diseases need to be specifically monitored,” the letter added.
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