160 medical teams rushed to villages
The health system has also been put on alert to prevent spread of diseases, said state health minister Eknath Shinde.
Mumbai: More than 162 medical teams have been deployed to the flood-affected areas. House-to-house surveys are being carried out to treat illnesses such as fever, diarrhoea and jaundice among others. About 14,000 houses have been surveyed till now. The health system has also been put on alert to prevent spread of diseases, said state health minister Eknath Shinde.
District health departments have been told to activate flood control and management cells, and take measures to purify drinking water in these areas and be equipped with medicines required for the treatment of monsoon-related viral ailments.
At least 15 districts in Maharashtra have been affected due to heavy rainfall, read a primary report released by the state health department. Nearly 1.13 lakh people have been affected by floods across 60 villages in the state.
The affected areas include 36 villages in the Kolhapur region, 18 in Thane region, three in Satara district and two in Nashik, said state epidemiologist Dr Pradeep Awate.
Areas along the Konkan coast like Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, as well as Nandurbar, Nashik, Pune, Sangli and Satara have seen excess rainfall.
Nanded and Hingoli districts in Marathwada and Chandrapur in Vidarbha have also been affected by incessant rain.
According to Dr Awate, people who have had to wade through rainwater could contract leptospirosis — a disease that spreads among humans through animals.
He said that one could be infected by coming in contact with the urine of infected animals, like rats, mice, cattle among others.