With the Northeast monsoon setting in, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj has directed health officials to ensure uninterrupted medical services and to strengthen hospital preparedness for all government hospitals in the State.
In an official communication, the Minister said that all districts were instructed to take up precautionary measures to achieve three objectives of preventing the spread of diseases during the monsoon, preventing deaths and ensuring uninterrupted medical services.
He said that priority should be given to vulnerable areas in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Ramananthapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari, and ensure that all government hospitals, primary health centres, urban primary health centres, health sub-centres and vaccine cold chain centres in these areas remain prepared.
He said that a proper advance evacuation plan for healthcare facilities located in low-lying, riverbank and coastal areas should be developed, along with plans to shift patients to safer hospitals. Officials were told to ensure that blood banks, vaccination facilities, drug warehouses and critical electrical infrastructure are located at elevated sites that are not vulnerable to flooding.
Medical camps should be conducted in areas affected by floods and cyclones in coordination with district administration and local bodies, he said.
Dr. Arunraj said that an adequate number of medical teams, mobile medical units and ambulances should be stationed at the flood relief centres in advance.
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The Health Department should work in coordination with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Public Works Department to ensure that transformers are located at elevated sites protected from flooding and remain operational with adequate fuel availability.
He also wanted officials to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply in government and private hospitals and maintain emergency stocks sufficient for at least seven days. Life saving equipment, including ventilators and adequate number of ambu bags should be available, while all ambulances should be ready for deployment with sufficient fuel, medicines and trained personnel.
Hospitals should maintain stocks of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, disinfectants, oral rehydration solution for diarrhoea, anti-snake venom, chlorine tablets and other medical consumables sufficient for at least seven days.
The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation must ensure the timely supply of essential medicines to drug warehouses in coastal and flood-prone districts. He also wanted essential personnel, including electricians, plumbers, lift operators and sanitation workers to be engaged round-the-clock and to ensure that lifts and fire fighting equipment are properly maintained and kept ready for use during emergencies.
To prevent waterlogging on hospital campuses, drains, sewage pipelines, manual openings and toilets should be properly cleaned and blockages removed. Pumps should be kept ready to drain water from low-lying areas.
He said that post-rain, disease surveillance should be strengthened to ensure earlier identification of dengue, leptospirosis, chikungunya, acute diarrhoeal diseases and other water-borne diseases to ensure prompt treatment.
Pregnant women nearing their delivery dates should avoid staying in flood-prone areas and seek the necessary medical advice, the Minister added.
Published – October 21, 2026 05:00 am IST
