ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 Pakistan’s Minister for Health Ms. Sherry Rehman on Wednesday issued directives for activating the Health Emergency Response Cells in the four provinces, particularly NWFP to ensure an efficient response to the affectyees of the flash floods and torrential rains. “The Ministry of Health is fully prepared for a timely response to the affectees and we have already despatched the mobile teams, and necessary medicines to deal with the post-flood challenges,” said Ms. Sherry Rehman.
She said the ministry is vigorously pursuing a preventive strategy incorporating efforts for clean drinking water, vaccination and comprehensive communication plan.
In order to prevent the outbreak of water-related diseases, the Ministry has despatched over 10,000 water purification tablets and more could be provided to ensure their adequate supply in the flood-hit areas.
As soon as the flood recede, the ministry will initiate a vaccination exercise against measles, cholera, and meningitis. She added the ministry has already formulated a communication strategy to augment preventive efforts.
“We will be utilising all channels of communication to inform and educate the public about health-related challenges in the backdrop of the floods.
She said the Lady Health Workers will also carry out the task of delivering door-to-door messages on preventive measures.
Sherry Rehman said that the Health Ministry has devised a strategy to enable the LHWs to make an effective contribution to the medical and emergency relief measures.
These include organising camps to provide medicines and vaccinations, and extend preventive health services at doorsteps of the flood-affected people, she said. The LHW Programme will also offer logistic support to the Executive District Offices while it would continue to work as the distribution channel for health interventions.
She clarified that there is no immediate threat of floods, since the major rivers and reservoirs were maintaining their normal levels.
She said the Government is actively monitoring the situation in all four provinces, and the Health Ministry is working in close coordination with the provincial governments, the National Disaster Management Authority and the Emergency Relief Cell of the Cabinet Division, with the objective of supporting and augmenting their efforts.