Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Thursday announced a series of measures to ensure maternal healthcare and emergency medical assistance in flood-affected areas, with a focus on the safe evacuation of pregnant women, timely access to hospitals and the management of snakebite cases.
Speaking to reporters, Mahaling said the Health Department has prioritised shifting pregnant women to safer locations and ensuring they are transported to hospitals in time for delivery. He noted that snakebite incidents typically increase during floods and require prompt medical intervention.
To coordinate the health response, the state government has constituted a review committee headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to monitor and oversee flood-related healthcare measures.
The minister said Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) and District Magistrates have been directed to closely monitor the flood situation and ensure the availability of emergency medical services, relief materials and essential supplies. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) have been instructed to identify women in the advanced stages of pregnancy, facilitate their evacuation to safer locations and arrange transportation to maternity hospitals.
Mahaling said the measures have been implemented in three districts so far and could be extended to a fourth district depending on the evolving flood situation.
Meanwhile, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the flood situation in the state was under control and improving in the three worst-affected districts.
“The situation is fully under control. Conditions are improving in the three most affected districts. Around two lakh people have been directly affected. Relief and rescue operations are continuing in other districts as well. More than 30,000 people are staying in relief camps, where all necessary arrangements have been made. Thousands of people remain in vulnerable areas, and we are supplying them with relief materials,” Pujari said.
Earlier, Bhadrak Collector Dillip Rautrai said floodwaters had affected 61 gram panchayats covering 261 villages and a population of nearly 2.45 lakh in the district.
Speaking to ANI, Rautrai said several villages had been marooned and many panchayats, particularly in the Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar blocks, had been cut off due to flooding.
He said 51 free kitchens had been set up to provide food to affected residents, with more centres likely to be opened as floodwaters from the Baitarani river spread to additional low-lying areas.
Rautrai added that rising water levels in the Salandi river system had also affected Bhadrak block, Bhadrak municipality and Tihidi block.
(With ANI inputs)
