DPH instructs healthcare facilities to ensure preparatory activities

CHENNAI: In view of the upcoming North East Monsoon, the Deputy Directors of Health Services (DDHS) have been asked to undertake public health preparatory activities to tackle the situation which may arise due to the monsoon.

The public health facilities have been asked to keep adequate power back up through generators with adequate fuel supply, lights and battery backup. The functionality of the generators should be checked while installation should be at an elevated place.

The officials have been asked to station ambulances to shift and transport the patients under critical care to other medical institutions, in case power supply could not be restored by any means in the institutions.

To avoid flooding, the medical facilities have been asked to clean all the rain water drains and maintain the sewerage clean and there should not be any public health issues due to poor sanitation. The drinking water and water for other purposes to be checked frequently as per schedule to avoid any contamination.

DPH has instructed to make arrangements to clear the garbage through the local bodies and ensure proper disposal of Bio medical waste through the agencies authorized by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

The elevators, slipways and fire fighting equipment have been asked to be kept ready for use, ensuring the entrance and exit points of the medical institutions are kept free of encroachments, for easy access of ambulances and other rescue vehicles.

Regarding the human resources, the hospitals should have doctors, nurses, para medical staff and other hospital workers, trained in disaster management through the fire and rescue service Department and other agencies. The health facilities should also coordinate with the local bodies for water chlorination, Solid Waste Management, disinfection and fogging operations for mosquito control.

For public health preparedness, Rapid Response Teams have been asked to be on alert on 24/7 during the pre-cyclonic period in each block as well as in the Health Unit District, while vector control teams and water chlorination monitoring teams should be kept ready to carry out immediate relief measures after the cyclone. The control room should be established in Deputy Director Health Services office for monitoring and initiating control measures immediately.

Meanwhile, the local bodies should ensure that safe water is supplied to the people in the shelter and other places, while food quality of the food provided to the people in the shelter should be checked. The periodical removal of solid waste by the local body in the shelter should be monitored and separate toilet should be provided for male and female.

The state health department would deploy medical teams in the shelters and conduct health camps, while awareness on precautions to be taken immediately following cyclone should be given widely to the public and educated. While the monitoring of the Acute Febrile Illness syndrome, Acute Diarrheal Disease syndrome, Influenza like Illnesses Syndrome, Jaundice Syndrome, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and vaccine preventable diseases like Measles, Rubella, Diphtheria etc, should be done. Any unusual outbreak needs to be identified and daily reports should be sent Integrated Health Information Portal by DDHS.