Actively preventing infectious diseases after floods in Central Vietnam

Accordingly, local people must carry out environmental hygiene activities after heavy rain and flood; use powdered lime or chemicals when burying dead animals to avoid infectious epidemics; and coordinate with the health sector to spray chemicals to exterminate disease-transmitting insects in danger areas.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health requested local provincial health departments in the central region and its units to implement remedial actions to deal with the floods, while ensuring sanitation and food safety in places which have gone through flooding and enhancing post-flood disease prevention.

Medical units were urged to closely coordinate with functional forces to support victims affected by the flood and provide necessities, medicines and sanitation chemicals for locals, while guiding residents in flood-stricken areas in maintaining sanitation, disinfecting water and preventing infectious diseases.

On the same day the ministry sent an official request to its medical businesses to provide Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces each 125 life jackets, 200 lifebuoys, two life float rafts, antivirals, and 100,000 Chloramine B disinfection capsules./.