DPH issues public health preparatory instructions to DDHS, local bodies

CHENNAI: With the onset of North East Monsoon in the State, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the Deputy Directors of Health Services to undertake public health preparatory activities.

The department has said that the emergency arrangements in terms of power back up, ambulance facilities, drinking water facilities and vector borne control activities need to be continued.

As part of the preparatory measures, all the health facilities in the district should have adequate power back up through generators with adequate fuel supply and battery backup should also be available for charging mobile phones. In case of unavailability of power supply, the ambulances need to be mobilized to shift and transport the patients under critical care to other medical institutions.

The entrance and exit points of the Medical Institutions should be kept free of encroachments, for easy access of ambulances and other rescue vehicles.

The healthcare authorities have also been asked to clean all the rain water drains and sewerage system to avoid unnecessary stagnation of rain water and avoid flooding in wards and institutions.

The drinking water and water for other purposes to be checked frequently as per schedule to avoid any contamination and for ensuring the chlorination. All the elevators have to be properly and periodically serviced and kept ready for use without any breakdown.

Meanwhile, the local bodies need to focus on water chlorination, solid waste management, disinfection and undertake fogging operations for mosquito control in healthcare facilities and shelters. For public health preparedness, Rapid Response Teams should be on alert on 24 X 7 basis in each block. Hour to hour monitoring of weather forecast along with District Disaster Management Authorities should be given priority.

The health department officials are also instructed to establish a control room in Deputy Director Health Services office for monitoring and initiating control measures immediately.

The local bodies have been asked to monitor the quality of water and food being provided to the people in the shelters and periodical removal of solid waste in the shelter. The separate toilet should also be provided for male and female.

After the North East Monsoon, the health department officials have been instructed to continuously monitor the patients, both in the health facilities and the camps for occurrence of any particular illness. The information should be analyzed for any unusual increase in the conditions for taking appropriate public health preventive measures.