Kathmandu. The health sector has been urged to adopt high alertness and make preparedness and response work effective.

The Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit has sent a letter to provincial health emergency operation centres of all seven provinces, urging them to be more effective in the response work.

A directive has been issued to strengthen preparedness in view of the forecast of moderate to heavy rain accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in different places of the country from October 28 to 28.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (DRRRMA), have urged people to remain alert in view of the possible heavy rainfall and the resulting disasters like flood, landslide and inundation.

Issuing a circular, the unit chief Dr Hemanta Chandra Ojha has asked the unit to designate an emergency focal person to be in contact round the clock and to provide his/her contact details to the unit and make them public.

It has also urged the government to keep the required health human resources on standby including emergency medical teams (EMTs) by coordinating with the concerned hub and satellite hospital network.

It has also been asked to update the details of available human resources, medicines, health materials, equipment, ambulance and other resources in coordination with the health sector partners.

It is stated in the letter that the ambulance service should be ensured in order to provide health services to the injured and affected people in time during the disaster by continuously coordinating with the ambulance dispatch centers in the province.

The unit has also urged all the state centers to compulsorily send the details of incidents and situations related to the health sector through ‘zero reporting’ or ‘incident reporting’ on a daily basis.

Health services should not be disrupted during possible disasters, ensure availability of required human resources and health materials, and mobilize immediate response in the affected areas.