138 newly appointed doctors deployed to flood-hit districts in Punjab

Chandigarh: Amid the ongoing flood crisis, the Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department has ordered the immediate deployment of 138 newly recruited medical officers to the seven worst flood-affected districts.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh, while directing the new officers to report immediately to the civil surgeons of their assigned districts, stated, “The health of our citizens in the flood-affected regions is our paramount concern. The presence of these 138 doctors on the ground is crucial to strengthening our healthcare delivery and tackling medical challenges in these difficult times.”

Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Dr Balbir Singh stated, “A total of 322 Medical Officers have been given appointment orders in the first phase of the total recruitment of 1,000 medical officers. Considering the emergency situation in the wake of floods, 138 medical officers have been directed to immediately report to the civil surgeon of the flood-affected district for carrying out critical medical duties”, news agency UNI reported.

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He said this major manpower push is further amplified by the support from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab, nursing colleges, private hospitals, and government & private medical colleges, who have stepped forward to bolster the state's relief efforts.

Dr Balbir Singh revealed that the Health Department has deployed a massive infrastructure of 818 rapid response and mobile medical teams, which are conducting daily medical camps in affected villages and shelter homes."

To combat water-borne diseases, a large-scale distribution of chlorine tablets is underway, with teams ensuring house-to-door delivery. Furthermore, extensive spraying and fogging operations are being carried out to prevent vector-borne diseases in waterlogged areas." he added.

Ensuring rapid medical response, Dr Balbir Singh said that a fleet of 424 ambulances, comprising 170 from the department and 254 with the support of the IMA and NGOs, is now operational across the affected districts, reports UNI.

Also Read:40 patients being shifted from North Delhi Trauma Centre to LNJP Hospital amid flooding