Tamil Nadu on vigil against outbreak of diseases

Chennai: After cyclone Vardah hit the city on Monday, the state health department took precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of diseases, especially mosquito and water borne.  

“We are now in the 'impact phase', wherein focus is being laid to provide aid to those injured during the cyclone and those suffering from upper respiratory tract infections. We have asked all hospitals, both government and private, to be prepared to handle such cases. We also have a reserve of 16,000 litres of diesel stocked by the 108 Ambulance service and 50 kilo litres of oxygen at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital,” said J. Radhakrishnan, state health secretary.

 “We are also prepared to handle the situation in the ‘post impact phase’ — wherein we may see cases of water and mosquito borne diseases. We plan to lay visible focus on fogging and prevention of mosquito breeding. We are taking all pro-active steps to prevent the spread of diseases and therefore have to be extremely careful for one week,” he added.    

 The health department had deployed 121 mobile medical vehicles in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts on Monday to help the civic bodies in mitigating the loss of lives, and an additional of 40 were flagged off from the Omandurar Multi Super Specialty Hospital on Tuesday.

An additional of 18 ambulances will join the force on Wednesday, the health secretary added. “The department had also arranged for static medical teams in the relief camps which had opened. It deployed 50 teams to check chlorination and food safety,” he said.