Srinagar: The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) on Thursday issued an advisory over a possible outbreak of water borne diseases in the valley in view of incessant rains and flash floods witnessed in Kashmir on Wednesday.
In the advisory, the DHSK has emphasised on hand hygiene and drinking boiled water.
The directorate has also advised to wash the food storage containers regularly and chlorinate the tap water for decontamination.
For rehydration, the DHSK has advised to use ORS, which can be also made at home by adding eight teaspoons full of sugar and one teaspoon full table salt to a pre-boiled litre of water.
The DHSK has asked the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) across the valley to activate the Rapid Response Teams in the respective districts and gear up the Community Health Officers (CHOs) for any eventuality.
It also asked the CMOs to lift water samples for testing at Public Health Laboratories under the IDSP programme to ensure minimal occurrence of the disease outbreak.
“The directorate issued the advisory for information of the general public to control any possibility of the disease outbreak,” said spokesman health department, Dr Mir Mushtaq.
He advised people to boil water for five to 20 minutes before consuming it. “We should make sure to wash our hands every time we venture outside,” he said.
He also said we should ensure that all the vegetables and pulses purchased from the market are washed properly before cooking.
“One of the important things is our personal hygiene. We have to maintain proper hygiene. Our nails and other body parts should be clean,” Dr Mushtaq said.
He further advised parents to be careful about kids who mostly play outside during rains and get exposed to outside environments. “Kids play outside and get in contact with the outside environment. Once they play outside, they usually touch their hands with their mouth, nose or eyes which can be problematic for them,” he said.