Government health facilities and health officials have been instructed to conduct health camps, along with the local bodies, in the rain-affected localities.
For preventive screening camps, 416 mobile medical units and 770 jeep-borne units have been deployed, Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan said in a letter to the Collectors.
Areas mapped out
He said public health officials had mapped out all areas in the Chennai Corporation and other districts that received incessant rain, and the situation was being monitored round the clock. He said the government continued COVID-19 screening and advised the health officials and the Collectors to remain vigilant in the next month as the rain-affected areas were bound to feel the impact in the next four days and the recovery in the next three weeks.
Fever camps
Dr. Radhakrishnan said the Health Department was monitoring cases of fever, diarrhoea and itching. Government hospitals were fully equipped to tackle any health emergency. The State had adequate stocks of medicines, intravenous fluids, antibiotics, tetanus toxoid and anti-snake venom, he said, urging the officials to drive home the importance of drinking boiled water and hand-washing among members of the public and encourage them to go to health camps in case of infection.
Health officials were asked to ensure that private hospitals maintained sufficient oxygen supplies and kept generators in good order so that services were not interrupted in case of inundation or waterlogging.
