Epidemiologists attached to the Epidemiology Unit and the HPB informed the public to take certain precautions to protect health during the floods and rainy conditions.
According to them, not only fresh and clean water, but boiled and bottled water is also recommended. People should eat cooked and warm foods as much as possible while avoiding stale and cold food. The hands should be washed with soap before touching food.
They pointed out that babies should be breastfed all the time without opting for other liquids in order to protect them from germs that lead to diseases. Pregnant mothers whose delivery date is close should be admitted to hospitals. Children who are in welfare camps should not be kept alone and an adult should keep an eye on them in order to protect them from sexual abuse.
They stressed that toilets should be used to ensure proper sanitation while hands should be thoroughly washed after using the toilet every time. Women should use sanitary napkins. Even children should be directed to use toilets whenever required. Excreta of infants should be disposed in toilets and nowhere else. The Public Health Inspector (PHI) of the relevant area should be contacted to obtain chlorine to clean wells from which drinking water is obtained.
Another important fact pointed out by them was preventing accidents during floods. Walking and playing in floodwaters should be prevented. People should stay away from broken, live electricity wires. People should be in a protected and closed places and avoid open places when lightning occurs.
“If anyone has health issues such as loose motion, fever, cough and rash, he or she should obtain treatment from the medical team of the welfare camp immediately. All wounds should be cleaned, dressed and kept dry without allowing contacting with floodwaters,” they said.
“Garbage should be disposed properly without allowing mosquitoes to breed inside them. Otherwise, dengue mosquitoes can breed in water collected inside the garbage,” they added.
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Keeping water clean during floods
The flood-affected and contaminated wells can be re-used after cleaning. Wells can be cleaned by following the instructions issued by the Health Ministry.
* The PHI or Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of the relevant area should be consulted before starting to clean the well. The well should be emptied using a motor or manually. Inside walls of the well should be thoroughly cleaned using a big brush. Then let the well filled with natural water.
* After filling the well, a freshwater bucket should be taken from the cleaned well. Then two tablespoons of TCL powder obtained from the PHI or MOH of the relevant area should be thoroughly mixed in the water bucket taken from the well.
The bucket with the mixture should be put back into the well carefully using a clean tug.
* The bucket should be moved inside the well, up and down several times, in order to mix the mixture with the well water properly.
* The well water can be used after 30 minutes of this process. Mixing TCL powder with well water (as described above) should be done three times a day.
One tablet of chlorine should be used for five litres of tap water if people cannot be assured of the cleanliness of tap water they consume.
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