Health Minister Sidharthnath Singh asked Chief Medical Officers of flood-affected districts to gear up for the exigency and stack up `flood outposts’ with life saving drugs so that immediate relief could be provided to the people, if needed.
“The government is getting ready to provide all possible help to flood-endemic districts of the state. Monsoon has been delayed but it has been now been raining for the last three days. There is apprehension that major rivers could be in spate within a couple of days. Keeping this in mind, the government has asked all CMOs to provide basic medicines at baadh (flood) chowkis,” Singh told 'The Pioneer' in lucknow on Wednesday.
The minister held a meeting of CMOs through video conferencing along with CMOs of flood endemic regions asking about details of their requirements.
“There are around 30 districts which are regularly ravaged by floods. I spoke to CMOs of each district asking about their requirements of life saving drugs. All of them said that they have sufficient medicines in stock. Some CMOs asked for particular medicines which would be sent to them at the earliest,” he said.
Singh said that all 'baadh chowkis' will have a medical team comprising doctors and para-med staff. "life saving drugs will be stacked there and in case of emergency, patients would be shifted to state-run hospitals immediately the 102 and 108 ambulance service will be synchronized and made available for flood affected people,” the minister said.
Singh said that medical exigency arises when flood waters start receeding. "The CMOs have also been asked to get ready to control spread of diseases," he said.