KARACHI: Amid a huge need of medical supplies in flood-hit areas where up to five million people are at risk of contracting different diseases after being displaced from their homes and compelled to live in camps, health authorities and medical experts have devised certain guidelines for relief operations and enumerated first aid medicines and other essential supplies needed for healthcare units set up in flood affected areas.

The fresh estimates and assessments from the health authorities engaged in relief work suggest that a huge number of people, including women and children, are suffering from waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, cholera, fever, flu, allergy, scabies and other fungal skin ailments.

“We observe that due to an absence of any guideline, a huge quantity of unwanted medicines are being donated which go into waste or are misused in the name of flood victims. So with the assistance of the Pakistan Society of Health-System Pharmacists we have devised a guideline that gives awareness in this regard.”

He shared details of several medicines including anti-infectives (oral), cough and cold preps, pain/colic and fever management (oral) drugs and medicines used during pregnancy/ female care, antacids, wound dressings, vomiting/nausea (oral) drugs, antidiarrheals (oral) and other medicines used as basic first aid supplies.

The health authorities, he said, are also coordinating with local pharmaceutical firms and welfare organisations to help them reach the affected areas in dire need of medical supplies.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2022