Flood-hit areas to get health squads: Maharashtra's Health Minister Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra's Health Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday directed his department to deploy round-the-clock health squads along with flood-control teams in the flood-hit areas of Navi Mumbai, Thane, Konkan, Nashik, and Western Maharashtra.

This has been done to avoid the spread of rain-related diseases. He has directed authorities to conduct household-level surveys with health workers being ordered to find cases of waterborne diseases in waterlogged and adjoining areas.

The health camps also aim to prevent diseases such as swine flu, dengue, leptospirosis and ensure that fumigation activities are undertaken wherever needed. Shinde also advised the citizens to be vigilant.

Shinde, who held a marathon meeting with department officials, insisted that preventative measures must be taken in case of an outbreak of heavy rain and the absence of sterile drinking water, which can lead to waterborne diseases. And as such, the medical squads have been told to maintain 24-hour presence in flood-hit villages. They have also been directed to extensively use bleaching powder, chlorine tablets, and chlorine fluids to supply sterile water to the villagers.

The minister instructed medical teams to regularly treat flood-hit citizens who are currently camping in schools, marriage halls, temples, and other places.