No leave for health workers in flood-hit areas 

The government has cancelled leave for health workers in flood-hit districts and stepped up emergency preparedness, including stockpiling anti-snake venom and deploying medical teams, to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for affected people.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain announced the measures at a press conference at the ministry's conference room at the Secretariat on Monday.

"Adequate stocks of medicines, oral saline, anti-snake venom, as well as doctors and healthcare personnel, have been kept ready to ensure that no patient is deprived of treatment," he said.

The government has stockpiled 21,000 doses of anti-snake venom at the grassroots level as flooding across several districts has increased the risk of snakebites. Another 1,000 doses have been kept in the central reserve as part of the country's flood preparedness.

Officials said 399,879 bags of cholera saline have been distributed to field-level health facilities. They added that 7,585,299 packets of oral rehydration saline (ORS), 3,619,572 water purification tablets and 44,175 dengue testing kits are available at the field level. A further 75,745 dengue testing kits are in the central stock, while the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) has a reserve of 99,995 bags of normal saline.

The ministry said medical teams have been deployed to every flood-affected upazila and district to provide emergency healthcare services. The teams are providing primary treatment, managing waterborne diseases, distributing medicines, oral saline and water purification tablets, while designated focal persons are maintaining round-the-clock coordination with the central control room.

The minister said the government has taken the highest level of preparedness to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services in 11 flood-hit districts in the eastern region. He said several days of heavy rainfall and upstream flash floods have inundated parts of the Chattogram region, disrupting transport, economic activities and healthcare services, but added that the government had responded promptly.

Special healthcare operations are now underway in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Cumilla and Brahmanbaria. A senior physician has been assigned to oversee the health situation in each district, while the Health Ministry's control room is operating round the clock to coordinate the response.

Highlighting long-term measures for flood-prone northern and char areas, Sakhawat Hossain said emergency relief had been dispatched immediately after flooding affected Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Itna, Mithamoin and Austagram. He also announced that farmers affected by annual floods would be identified and provided with direct financial assistance.