Minister Veena George has clarified that the Health Department will form a special action plan for the month of July as part of epidemic prevention in the state. An action plan is formulated to prevent epidemics and ensure better treatment. The minister informed that due to the continued rains in the state, extreme caution should be taken against infectious diseases. Common colds, viral fevers, dengue fever, rabies, influenza-H1N1 and diarrheal diseases are more common. The minister said that fever in children should be taken care of, sick children should not be sent to school and proper treatment and rest should be ensured. Do not self-medicate. The minister also requested to seek expert treatment if there is prolonged fever or other symptoms such as shortness of breath with fever, excessive palpitations, chest pain, unconsciousness, loss of consciousness, blood in sputum and excessive fatigue. The State Level Rapid Response Team (RRT) met and assessed the general situation in the state.
Instructions are also given to be cautious against bird flu and not to handle dead animals and birds without safety precautions. The Health Department had a meeting with the Animal Welfare Department. About 2.5 lakh One Health community volunteers are availing their services. Minister Veena George added that those who keep pet animals and birds should be especially careful and those who have handled dead birds or animals should immediately inform the health workers if there are any symptoms of disease. Influenza, colds and coughs can be prevented through personal safety measures such as masks, social distancing and hand hygiene. This is very important to follow as H.1N.1 cases are increasing. Hospital visitors must wear masks. Non-patients should avoid hospital visits as much as possible. It is recommended that people with colds wear a mask.
Pregnant women, those with related diseases and the elderly should use masks. Beware of rat fever. Contact with sewage should be avoided as much as possible. People with leg wounds should avoid contact with sewage or take personal protective measures. Employers dealing with soil and water should take safety precautions such as boots and gloves. Those who have entered contaminated water must take anti-rabies pills as directed by health workers. Caution should be exercised against amoebic meningoencephalitis. Bathing in stagnant water and diving in water should be avoided as much as possible as this disease has been reported in Kerala. Water in water theme parks and swimming pools should be properly chlorinated to ensure that it is clean. The health system must be ready. District Medical Officers should conduct mapping of districts and conduct intervention. Number of staff and lab facilities should be ensured. Private hospitals should report cases accurately. Dengue cases should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Hospitals must strictly follow protocols. Availability of drugs should be ensured in hospitals. Minister Veena George gave instructions to pay special attention to the camps.
