As Cyclone ‘Montha’ barrels toward the coastline, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department has rolled out comprehensive measures to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services during the storm and in its aftermath.
Health facilities across the state, including field-level health centers, Arogya Mandirs, primary health centers, community health centers, district headquarters hospitals, and medical colleges and hospitals, have been fortified with essential supplies and coordinated response systems.
To guarantee specialized consultations and services, superintendents of medical colleges and hospitals have been instructed to maintain close coordination with nearby district chief medical officers. Emergency services such as 108 and 102 ambulances, mobile health units, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram units, and rapid action teams have been integrated and linked to control rooms for seamless operations.
Current stockpiles in field-level hospitals and health centers include over 3.71 crore paracetamol tablets, more than 1.87 crore ORS packets, over 3.82 crore zinc tablets, more than 1.75 crore halogen tablets, over 3.02 lakh anti-snake venom injections, and more than 67.04 lakh bleaching powder packets. Essential life-saving and emergency medicines, oxygen cylinders, blood units, and plasma products are also readily available in blood storage centers. Arrangements have been made to supply additional medicines and manpower as needed.
Emergency wards have been equipped with extra trauma kits, while district headquarters hospitals now feature 24×7 control rooms. In anticipation of heavy rainfall and flooding, measures to combat potential water-borne and vector-borne diseases include stocked medicines and immediate awareness campaigns in affected areas.
These preparations aim to safeguard public health in the most vulnerable districts, ensuring that cyclone-hit communities receive prompt and adequate medical support.
