No disease outbreak in flood-hit districts: Department of Health

Kathmandu - The Department of Health has ruled out the report of flood-hit districts facing a disease epidemic.

"Various districts are flooded, no epidemic is reported so far. However, the chance of a disease outbreak is high. So precautionary measures must be adopted like boiling water before drinking and eating hygienic food," said Director General of the Department Dr Rajendra Panta at a press conference in the Capital on Wednesday.

While the Department said health workers along with medicines have been sent to the affected areas, the Ministry of Health has also dispatched a separate disaster management team to flood-hit areas like Biratnagar, Janakpur, Rautahat, Saptari and Nepalgunj.

All affected areas have got medicines and health workers on duty, the Department claimed. The ministry said hospitals will provide free treatment to flood and landslide survivors for seven more days.

"Some health facilities in flood-affect districts like Rautahat, Mahottari and Banke are providing service undisrupted, while some others have been shifted to nearby school buildings," said Deputy Director General of the Department Chuna Mani Bhandari.

Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division Dr Bhim Acharya claimed that all health institutions at flood-hit districts have got adequate human resource and medicines in view of the risk of spreading of diseases like diarrhoea, hepatitis and cholera post natural disaster.

The ministry has urged all to contact 01-4100187, 01-4262268 and 98510-96089 for any help related to the health sector.