Union Health ministry chalks out strategies to help Nepal

The Union Health Minister JP Nadda has directed the officials to send a team of doctors having expertise in emergency relief care to the affected country.

“The team sent to Nepal comprises public health specialists from health ministry, experts from AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. They will assess the health aspects of the situation arising out of large scale morbidity and mortality,” a senior official at the health ministry said.

“Three members of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a repository of technical knowledge unit of health ministry are in the team that includes doctors of AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. Dr AK Bhoumik of DGHS will be leading the team of experts,” said the official.

According to the ministry official, the members of the team have been directed to interact with the health authorities in Nepal and conduct a rapid health check and make an assessment to ascertain requirements for human resources and logistic deployment.

“Nepal is in deep crisis. Thousands of people are in distress. It’s our moral responsibility to help Nepal get out from these difficult times. The Health Ministry is committed to provide all the required support to our neighbouring country,” the official said.

The official further said: “During such a high magnitude catastrophe, the chances of outbreak of epidemic are very high. So the team will assess the situation, taking into account all health parameters and submit the report. After consulting other stake-holders, the health ministry will initiate the relief measures.”

Notably, the health ministry had on Sunday rushed medicines and a team of doctors to Nepal after the Himalayan country suffered the devastating earthquake on Saturday, which has left around 4000 dead so far. 

The health ministry had rushed 15 tonnes of medicines to Nepal on Sunday. It has also sent a 34-member medical team consisting of 10 orthopaedic surgeons, four anaesthetists, 12 

male nurses and eight OT (operation theatre) technicians to the earthquake-affected areas of Nepal to provide emergency medical relief.

In addition, three technicians for installing and operating the water treatment plants are also being sent, the official mentioned. This team left for Nepal on Sunday morning by an Air Force aircraft.

The World Health Organisation also handed over four emergency health kits comprising medicines 

(each catering to 10,000 people), medical supplies and $175 000 from the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) as the first tranche of emergency health funds to meet the immediate health needs of the affected people in Nepal.