Centre will provide all possible support to flood-hit Kerala: Nadda

The Centre Friday assured all possible support, including more financial assistance, to flood-ravaged Kerala to rehabilitate the affected people.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda said during his visit to the flood-affected areas in Thrissur and Ernakulam districts that the central government understands the sensitivity of the situation in Kerala.

"Fund is no problem, funds have always been there and we have always been giving it. All possible support has been given as far as the rehabilitation part is concerned and re-development part is concerned," the minister said.

Speaking to reporters after evaluating with the state government rehabilitation and rebuilding work in the affected areas, he said all possible steps for flood relief were being taken up and the prime minister himself was monitoring the situation.

The Health Ministry was continuously monitoring the public health situation arising out of the floods, he said.

"In the wake of the increase in the number of cases of leptospirosis, Kerala has been provided 18 lakh capsules of doxycycline - a drug used for prophylaxis and treatment of leptospirosis," the minister said.

The National Centre for Disease Control was monitoring the outbreak situation, he said, adding that an event-based daily reporting for epidemic prone diseases was being followed from last month.

"The Strategic Operation Centre has been activated. The EMR division is monitoring the situation arising due to spurt of cases leptospirosis, dengue, chickenpox and acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) on a daily basis," he said.

Nadda, who was accompanied by Health and Family Welfare Secretary Preeti Sudan, expressed satisfaction over the work being done to restore medical facilities in the affected areas.

He said the central team's visit was to see how the relief work was going on and to evaluate what more was required.

State Health Minister K K Shailaja Teacher also accompanied the Union minister to the affected areas.

Expressing grief over the flood related deaths and damage to property, Nadda said, "We feel very much disturbed. The people of Kerala had to face a lot of problems because of the natural calamity and we are all with them."