No post-flood disease outbreaks

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Although there are no reports on any outbreaks of diseases after floods, the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has made all arrangements to prevent any possible outbreaks.

This programme is being implemented on a directive by Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, a ministry spokesman said.

He said that there are no reports about water borne diseases or any other disease outbreak following the floods but all Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), Field Officers and other health workers have given instructions to provide required resources and information to the public in all affected areas to safeguard them from possible outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea, dengue, rat fever or similar diseases.

In flood affected areas, almost all drinking water resources were inundated by flood water and they have still not been cleared in some flood affected areas. The ministry in collaboration with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will launch a special awareness campaign in flood affected areas. The ministry will fund this programme.

Minister Nimal de Silva yesterday ordered the Epidemiology Unit to submit a situation report as soon as possible.

The awareness raising programme will take place today (8) at Wanathamulla, on May 9 at Kelaniya and Wattala and on May 10 at Kalutara and Bandaragama.

The most affected districts are Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Galle. The public will be educated on cleaning wells, preventing and controlling mosquito breeding and personal hygiene.

Large groups of healthcare workers will visit the flood affected areas to carry out the awareness raising campaigns.

All PHIs undergoing training at the Kalutara Nurses Training School have been deployed in all flood affected areas in the Kalutara district to serve the public. Apart from sending the required drugs and officials the ministry will take disciplinary action against officials who do not follow its instructions.