No leave for health teams till rains peter out

Staff on their toes, rain intensity and inundation chances being assessed

With heavy rains lashing several parts of the State, Health department staff will not get any leave till the situation improves. This was one of the directions issued at a recent meeting held by senior Health officials. Requirements at rehabilitation camps and steps to be taken if any disease or its outbreak is reported were discussed at the meeting. The Meteorological Centre in Hyderabad has issued a red alert and forecast heavy rainfall warning for five districts — Mulugu, Pedapalli, Jayashankar-Bhupalapally, Khammam, and Bhadradri-Kothagudem — for Monday. For the remaining districts, the centre has issued orange and yellow alerts. District-wise forecast of the rains were issued for Tuesday too. Given the possibility of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, and vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria seeing a surge following heavy rains, health teams in all the districts are on their toes. Intensity of rains and chances of inundation are being regularly assessed in the districts under the red alert warning.