Leave cancelled for health workers in flood-hit districts: Health Minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain today said the government has cancelled the leave of health workers in flood-hit districts and taken the highest level of preparedness to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for affected people.

"The leave of health workers in the flood-affected areas has been cancelled so that they remain on duty in the field. Adequate stocks of medicines, oral saline, anti-snake venom, as well as doctors and healthcare personnel, have been kept ready to ensure that no patient is deprived of treatment," he said.

The minister was addressing a press conference on healthcare services in flood-affected areas held at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Bangladesh Secretariat here.

He said continuous heavy rainfall and flash floods triggered by upstream hill runoff have inundated several districts, prompting the government to strengthen healthcare services in the affected areas.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is closely monitoring the situation and has already issued directives to field-level authorities, he said, adding that medical teams have been deployed while sufficient stocks of medicines, oral saline, water purification tablets and anti-snake venom have been ensured.

"If necessary, additional medical teams will be dispatched from the central level," he added.

The minister said special healthcare services are now being provided in 11 flood-affected districts-Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Cumilla and Brahmanbaria.

A senior physician has been assigned to oversee the overall health situation in each district, while the ministry's control room has been operating round-the-clock to collect information and coordinate response efforts, he said.

Sakhawat Hossain said the government is maintaining constant coordination with deputy commissioners, civil surgeons, hospital authorities and local administrations, with special emphasis on ensuring healthcare services for pregnant women, children and people living in remote areas.

Highlighting the increased risk of snakebites during floods, he said adequate anti-snake venom has already been supplied to the affected districts.

He urged people to take snakebite victims directly to hospitals instead of seeking treatment from traditional healers, adding that civil surgeons have been instructed to ensure prompt transportation of snakebite patients from remote areas to healthcare facilities.

The minister also said local health facilities have sufficient stocks of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and essential medicines to respond swiftly to any outbreak of diarrhoea, cholera and other waterborne diseases caused by contaminated floodwater.

Health Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said 95 snakebite patients have so far received treatment at hospitals in the flood-affected districts and all of them have recovered.

He said more than 1,000 vials of anti-snake venom are currently available at the central level, while around 21,000 vials have already been stocked at district health facilities. Another 25,000 vials are expected to arrive within the next 15 days, ensuring there will be no shortage of anti-snake venom.

The secretary said water purification tablets are being distributed to help prevent waterborne diseases in the post-flood period.

Adequate stocks of ORS, saline and essential medicines, along with dedicated medical teams, have been kept ready to tackle diarrhoea, cholera and other waterborne illnesses. Arrangements have also been made to transfer patients to higher-level hospitals if necessary.

Director General of the DGHS Prof Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas said the National Health Call Centre (16263) and the Shastho Batayon platform are collecting health-related information from flood-affected areas and providing necessary medical advice.

He said the DGHS is also closely monitoring the situation regarding dengue and other infectious diseases.

An emergency control room has been opened at the DGHS, which can be reached at 01759114488.