State to send 100 paramedics, assist with sanitation
MUMBAI : A day after sending a team of 100 doctors and medical assistants to flood-affected Kerala, the Maharashtra government has announced it will additionally send around 100 paramedics to help the southern state meet its shortage of healthcare workers.
The state’s public health department will send medicines for diabetes, blood pressure, and hypertension along with other lifesaving drugs after understanding the requirements. Dr Deepak Sawant, health minister, joined medical education minister Girish Mahajan in Kerala on Tuesday as part of the rescue and rehabilitation effort. “We had a detailed conversation with the state’s public health department and victims in around five rehabilitation camps. We were informed that there is an urgent need to start sanitation and a disinfectant programs given that infection due to flood water is the major healthcare scare of the moment,” said Dr Sawant.
Officials from the public health department said they have organised programmes to chlorinate water and disinfect houses and hospitals that were flooded. The paramedic staff will also help local authorities in the distribution of medication to prevent infectious diseases.
“There is an acute shortage of medication for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, and hypertension — a large stock of these medicines will be dispatched within two days [Thursday]. The state has
enough supply of other medications but not enough manpower, hence we will assist them with as many medical staff as required,” said Sawant.
Two C130J aircraft of the Indian Army airlifted Maharashtra’s medical team, consisting of 96 medical doctors led by Mahajan, to Trivandrum on August 20. Public health department officials explained that the 100 trained paramedics will be provided to segregate and distribute medicines and healthcare products to the camps where over 10 lakh victims are currently residing.
Household items like bedsheets, blankets and other basic necessities are also being sent on a daily basis by the state. “We have provided a ₹20-crore relief package along with clothes, dry fruits, sugar, rice, and dal to the people staying in rehabilitation camps. Doctors from Sasoon Hospital, Pune, and Sir JJ Hospital Mumbai are already treating victims and we have informed the Kerala officials to let us know if more doctors are needed so we can arrange for the second batch accordingly,” said Mahajan.