The health sector directs the implementation of environmental sanitation and disease prevention after floods.

On September 27, Nghe An Department of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 3057/SYT-NVY on ensuring medical work after floods to the Provincial Center for Disease Control, Medical Centers of districts, towns and Vinh city.

The Director of the Department of Health requested the medical centers of districts, towns and Vinh city to advise local leaders on implementing environmental sanitation activities after storms and floods, ensuring that the environment is cleaned as soon as the water recedes; organizing the collection of waste and animal carcasses; using lime powder or disinfectants to treat animal carcasses when burying them to avoid the outbreak of epidemics and infectious diseases; spraying chemicals to kill disease-carrying insects in high-risk areas.

Support the provision of environmental disinfectants, instruct people on how to clean and disinfect well water and domestic water with Chloramine B. Aquatabs or other disinfectants according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health in areas affected by heavy rain and flooding.

Proactively assess the risk of epidemics in areas affected by heavy rain and flooding; be ready and proactively deploy plans to prevent and control epidemics; organize surveillance, promptly detect and thoroughly handle outbreaks, implement effective control measures to prevent epidemics from breaking out in areas with heavy rain and flooding; promptly dispatch mobile anti-epidemic teams to support the investigation of reported outbreaks.

Continue to organize propaganda and instruct people in areas at risk of being affected by heavy rain and floods on implementing measures to ensure personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, food safety, handling of dead animals and other hygiene measures according to recommendations on disease prevention measures after storms and floods posted in the media.

Ensure human resources, provide adequate quantities of drugs, chemicals, materials, equipment and facilities for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in affected areas; prepare adequate quantities of drugs, materials, chemicals and anti-epidemic equipment to be ready to respond when an epidemic occurs.

Public and non-public medical examination and treatment facilities must urgently develop plans for patient care and treatment in the event of storms and floods, and be ready to implement them so that there are no delays in providing health care to people at their facilities; and deploy plans to protect medical facilities in areas at risk of being affected by floods.

Ensure adequate supply of essential medicines for people, promptly replenish reserves of medicines, chemicals, and supplies during natural disasters, avoid being passive, surprised, and not interrupting emergency and treatment work for people.

Establish a mobile team to respond to storms and floods, ensure human resources, provide adequate medicine, chemicals, materials, equipment, facilities and means, and be ready to coordinate with relevant units to organize mobile emergency aid and provide medical support to people in areas affected by natural disasters in the locality when situations arise.

The Food Safety and Hygiene Department coordinates with departments, branches, local authorities and functional units to strengthen supervision, inspection and examination of food establishments, especially establishments producing, processing and trading livestock and poultry food; ensuring food safety and hygiene, not allowing dirty and poor quality food to circulate in the province.

The Provincial Center for Disease Control performs the function of focal point for deployment, guidance, supervision, urging, and support for units to carry out disease prevention and control activities during the 2023 flood season; promote propaganda and guidance for people to implement personal hygiene, food safety, and environmental sanitation measures on mass media and direct communication at grassroots health facilities.

Previously, the Provincial Center for Disease Control issued official dispatches directing medical centers in districts, cities and towns to ensure clean water, environmental sanitation, and disease prevention and control during the rainy season./.