Over 800 Medical Teams Deployed In Flood-Hit Areas Of Punjab: Health Minister Balbir Singh
The health teams are also prioritising pregnant women by conducting antenatal check-ups.
Health Minister Balbir Singh on Tuesday said 818 medical teams, comprising 458 rapid response teams and 360 mobile medical teams equipped with essential medicines, have been deployed in flood-hit areas of Punjab.
"Our goal is to ensure that no person is left without medical care," he said.
The minister said daily medical camps are being held in the affected areas and shelter homes to provide uninterrupted treatment.
Till date, 962 camps have been organised where over 31,876 patients have been examined and treated for a range of illnesses, including diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, diabetes, hypertension, skin and eye allergies, and dog bites, he said.
The health teams are also prioritising pregnant women by conducting antenatal check-ups.
"We have a robust system in place to deal with the crisis. The state has a sufficient stock of 66 essential drugs and 21 consumables, specifically pre-selected for flood relief. Additionally, separate funds have been allocated to districts to ensure they can purchase any necessary medicine, guaranteeing seamless health services," Singh said.
Highlighting proactive measures being taken to prevent disease outbreaks, he said ASHA workers, with a force of over 11,103 deployed in flood-affected districts, are going door to door to provide medicines and raise awareness about water and vector-borne diseases.
They are also prioritising the tracking and care of pregnant women and ensuring that routine immunisation schedules are not disrupted.
The health department has deployed 170 ambulances. This fleet has been significantly augmented by the generous support of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), nursing colleges, and NGOs, which have provided an additional 254 fully-equipped ambulances, the minister said.
"With a total of 424 ambulances now operational, we are ensuring that a rapid medical response is available 24x7," he said.
Singh said two specialised boat ambulances and a helicopter for emergency airlifting of critical patients, including pregnant women, have been deployed in Gurdaspur. So far, five pregnant women have been safely evacuated and provided with timely medical care, he said.
The swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets have flooded large parts of Punjab following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
According to officials, Punjab received 253.7 mm of rain in August, 74% in excess of normal and the state's highest in 25 years.
