KOLKATA: State Health department has directed all the Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOHs) in the coastal districts to keep adequate arrangement of medicine, oxygen, other necessary items and a standby generator in all rural health centers and hospitals situated in close proximity to the coast.
The health officials in the districts of North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore and West Midnapore and others have been asked to take all the precautionary measures so that the rural health centers situated close to the coasts do not face any difficulties after the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas hits the shore. In many of the rural health centers, there is no permanent generator.
Keeping this in mind, the district health officials have been urged to ensure that the block-level health units
which are catering to a considerable number of patients in the current pandemic situation do not have to face load shedding for a long time following the cyclone.
During super cyclone Amphan last year, several stretches along the coastline of North 2-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah were badly affected.
It took around a couple of days for the district administrations to restore normalcy after the cyclone wreaked havoc in the coastal areas.
"District health officials have been asked to take some measures so that the health centres in the rural areas do not face any challenges to provide normal treatment to the patients even if the transportation facilities and power lines are disrupted. Health centers should make their necessary arrangements of essential items," a health official said.
The department also alerted the district health officials after some cases of Mucormycosis were reported. All the CMOHs have been asked to keep a
tab on the situation and if someone is suspected to be infected with the Mucormycosis, it needs to be reported to the Swasthya Bhawan without any
delay. Directives have already been sent.