HYDERABAD, June 26: The Director-General of Health Services Sindh, Dr.Hadi Bux Jatoi, on Tuesday declared emergency in district government hospitals of coastal districts of Thatta and Badin and high alert in rest of 21 districts of Sindh province in view of rain emergency.

He claimed that there is no shortage of drugs or equipments in these hospitals and the department is fully alive to the situation and capable to combat any emergency.

At a press conference in committee room of DG health services office here on Tuesday, he said that he had already issued directives to district government hospitals regarding rain-related emergency cases.

He said that all the EDOs of health were directed to prepare rain/flood action plans and a provincial control room was established in the directorate-general which would work round the clock to monitor situation.

He said mobile teams would examine patients in coastal areas and if they were in need of more treatment they would be shifted to hospitals.

He said special contingency plans were prepared for Thatta and Badin districts where emergency control rooms with 19-emergency centres were set up in Thatta districts while two mobile teams were established in EDO health office.

He further said that in Badin district, five rain emergency control rooms were established and six health facilities of coastal areas were made functional round the clock along with drugs supply.

He said that four mobile teams had been arranged to provide medical treatment in different areas. He informed that EDOs health had been directed to establish control rooms on the same pattern in their offices.

All EDOs health are directed to establish medical camps where people from rain/flood area were given shelter and provision of medicines should be ensured, he added.

He said that vigilance teams of his directorate are supervising relief activities and to provide medial support to community adding that all life saving/essential drugs had been arranged by health department.

He said that as cases of snake and dog bite increased during this season all EDOs were instructed to ensure availability of vaccines ARV/ASV in sufficient quantity and if vaccines are not provided by National Institute of Health (NIH) they should be procured from local market.

He stated that chlorine tables were being provided through UNICEF support while 150000 chlorine tables are available with directorate general.

He said that due to forecast of heavy rains EDOs health were directed to take immediate necessary action by declaring emergency/high alert in all health facilities and to ensure availability of medicines and paramedical staff.