Health sector on high alert as Cyclone Arnab makes landfall

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Oct. 29: The government has stated that the health sector has been put on high alert as the risk of heavy rain, floods, and landslides are likely to lash the country for three days due to Cyclone Arnab.

Minister of Health and Food Safety, Nisha Mehta has discussed with officials and stakeholders, aiming to activate the ministry’s infrastructure to ensure effective preparedness and response.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by lightning and strong winds, is forecast across various parts of the country from Thursday to Saturday.

Minister Mehta discussed keeping the Ministry’s subordinate bodies in a state of readiness to ensure that healthcare services remain uninterrupted during potential disasters and that affected citizens can receive immediate assistance.

To facilitate response efforts for potential disasters, the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit has also written to the Provincial Health Emergency Operation Centres in all seven provinces, urging them to undertake necessary preparations.

In a letter issued by the Unit’s Chief, Dr. Hemanta Chandra Ojha, provinces have been requested to designate an Emergency Focal Person who remains reachable 24 hours a day and to provide their contact details to the Unit.

Similarly, the unit has also issued an instruction to keep essential health personnel, including Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), on standby in coordination with designated ‘hub’ and ‘satellite’ hospitals. 

In addition, the unit has urged all partners in the health sector to coordinate and update the inventory of available human resources, medicines, medical supplies, equipment, ambulances, and other necessary resources.

The letter states that in order to provide timely medical treatment to the injured and affected citizens during disasters, it is essential to ensure the smooth and effective deployment of ambulance services through continuous coordination with the ambulance dispatch centres located within the province. The unit has also requested the provincial Health Emergency Operation Centres to mandatorily submit daily reports, via ‘zero reporting’ or ‘incident reporting’, detailing any health-related events or situations.