7 Jalandhar ambulances deployed to assist flood victims in Gurdaspur

In an effort to provide medical relief to flood victims, Civil Surgeon (Officiating) Dr Raman Gupta and Medical Superintendent of ESI Hospital, Dr Vandana Dhir, flagged off a convoy of ambulances from the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, on Tuesday.

These ambulances are heading to the flood-hit areas of Gurdaspur, where health teams from Jalandhar have already been deployed to assist local residents.

The convoy consists of seven fully equipped ambulances, each with a Medical Officer, a Pharmacist, a Class-IV employee and a driver, ready to provide on-the-spot medical care and treatment. While four ambulances have already been dispatched to Gurdaspur, three more will be sent the following day to ensure continuous medical support.

In addition to the ambulances, more than 12 Emergency Rapid Response Teams have been constituted in Jalandhar. These teams are tasked with monitoring the health situation in areas affected by waterlogging and other flood-related issues, extending necessary medical help as required.

Dr Raman Gupta emphasised the importance of these efforts, stating, “Arrangements have been completed to provide essential health services. We’ve also issued necessary instructions to all SMOs in the district, ensuring that over a dozen Emergency Rapid Response Teams and Mobile Medical Teams are fully equipped and deployed to the affected areas.”

Efforts are also being made to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases in the flood-affected regions. Medical teams are treating patients suffering from ailments such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, skin and eye allergies, as well as dog and snake bites. Prenatal check-ups are being conducted for pregnant women, and chlorine tablets are being distributed to locals as a precautionary measure. Dr Gupta further added that medical camps would also be set up in flood-affected areas to ensure smooth and continuous treatment. He also called on social service organisations and the general public to extend support to the flood victims during this challenging time.

In addition to Dr Gupta, District Vaccination Officer Dr Rakesh Chopra, Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Jaswinder Singh, SMO Dr Namita Ghai, Ophthalmologist Dr Arun Verma, MO Dr Abhiraj Singh, District Education and Information Officer Gurdeep Singh, Deputy MEIO Asim Sharma and nursing staff were present during the flag-off ceremony.