VELLORE: The district Siddha unit has launched an intensive post-rain relief camps for the next five days across the district with the distribution of Nilavembu Kudineer (NK) to the general public. One such camp was inaugurated by the district collector on Wednesday at the old Bus stand.
District Siddha Medical Officer Dr Vijayaraghunathan said that the camps were being held in all the public places such as bus-stands, government healthcare institutions (11 government hospitals, one government medical college , 99 rural PHCs and 11 urban PHCs) across the district for five days to prevent water borne diseases and also to cure them. Each camp will distribute around 3,000 to 5,000 packets of NK in a day in public places. The concoction was prepared by the staff of the unit using nine herbs —Nilavembu, Vettiver, Vilamichamver, Sandal, Peipudal, Koraikilangu, Sukku and Milagu and Parpadagam. Wherever needed, other siddha medicines will also be distributed, he added.
The Siddha unit has already started distributing NK in the pre-monsoon spell in most parts of the district since the beginning of the month, covering general public and more particularly the school children. In Gudiyattam region, over one lakh persons have received NK concoction so far, he added.
The department of public health and preventive medicine has also launched mobile healthcare units as part of the post-rain relief camps across the district. Deputy Director of Health services Dr Poonkodi said 80 mobile units would be pressed into service which go around all the 20 blocks in the district on a daily basis. Each vehicle is loaded with medicines to treat minor ailments with a medico, a nurse who would screen and treat minor ailments and a health inspector who would chlorinate the water sources in the villages. She said that between November 4 to 9, as many as 631 rain-relief camps have been conducted by the department in which a total of 23,880 persons had received treatment for fever, diarrhea, injuries and other minor ailments. 64 persons also received TT vaccine. The health unit also has been monitoring the water sources and the chlorination status.
She said that district had an adequate stock of medicines including Tamiflu tabs to treat swine-flu. Camp sites also displayed messages on prevention of diseases and health-care aspects.