The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : What kept Nagapattinam healthy, safe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

What kept Nagapattinam healthy, safe

By Ramya Kannan

NAGAPATTINAM, JAN. 26. When international health experts predicted that Nagapattinam was sitting on a ticking time-bomb that would unleash a massive epidemic that would fell twice the number of persons the tsunami killed, the specially assembled health team in the district was sitting smug.

One month later, it became clear why they did that. Over thirty days after the tsunami wrecked immense havoc in the district, the clairvoyants were proved wrong. Not only had the team managed to ensure that there was no epidemic, but they had also reduced general infection levels, reflected in falling attendance at the health centres all over the district. This, despite the fact that 14 Primary health centres and 34 health sub-centres in 73 hamlets were badly affected by the tsunami.

Obviously, the members of the team had not been twiddling their thumbs, meanwhile. With little sleep or rest, the team, in co-ordination with other government departments, the State's health department unleashed a frenzy of activity to ensure that any epidemic kept off the shores of Nagapattinam. The District Collector, J. Radhakrishnan, believes that "convergence of services" was the mantra that worked and continues to work. The health, roads, highways, water and sewer board, revenue and electricity board are some of the key departments that pitched in with heavy manpower and equipment working day and night.

The Deputy Director, Health, Nagapattinam, R.Damodaran, who took charge since December 27, working with a huge team of officials led by the Rural Development Secretary, Shantha Sheela Nair, spoke of hard work and a "common sense" approach that worked wonders. "We focused keenly on key public health areas: proper disposal of bodies, close monitoring and control of communicable diseases through a specially created disease surveillance cell, ensuring constant supply of potable water and proper sanitation and reducing the fly and mosquito population."

Initially, safe disposal of bodies got top priority. Mass burials were conducted with bodies lowered into pits that were lined with soil, lime, bleaching powder and soil in alternate layers. Agents to aid quick decomposition were added and efforts were taken to prevent ground water contamination.

Drinking water

The Health Officer on special duty at Nagapattinam, Stanley Michael, explained the elaborate process of providing potable, safe drinking water to the affected villages. With water analysis teams constantly on the move, armed with simple, improvised testing kits, it became easy to test the water at each area, chlorinate it and identify leaks in the water pipes. While this took care of piped water supply, water from hand pumps had to be tackled with more effort. Some pumps were dismantled, but wherever they were operational, chlorine tablets were distributed and locals taught to use them properly. "This took care of one of the biggest problems — water-borne communicable diseases such as acute diarrhoeal diseases, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A, E, in an area that is endemic to cholera.

Fly menace

Simultaneously, they were also working on cutting down the alarming fly menace. As flies rose in swarms from the rotting stocks of dry fish, special efforts were clearly on call. In addition to using high-speed aerial sprayers, officials had to coax factory owners stocking the fish to get rid of them in pits. Soon, the fly index came down to below normal limits.

Blood smears were collected from the affected areas and access to rapid diagnostic kits enabled the health department staff to quickly identify and control patterns of diseases. One round of vaccination for measles, vitamin A and polio were conducted immediately. Ring immunisation was carried out in areas from where cases of measles were reported to protect others in the community, Dr. Stanley explained.

The Joint Secretary, Health, Supriya Sahu, said: "Ultimately it was the availability of medical and paramedical staff in large numbers and the flexibility they had to marshal any amount of quality supplies that were needed, at any point of time, that helped largely in preventing outbreaks." That, and a focussed approach to health issues helped keep Nagapattinam healthy and safe.

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