Health Minister Harsh Vardhan meets flood victims in a hospital in Poonch (PTI)
The Centre has assured all medical help, including sending doctors and paramedic staff, to Jammu and Kashmir to prevent the outbreak of diseases in the flood-ravaged state.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who toured the state and visited medical camps on Sunday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally monitoring the situation. (
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He said he had held meetings with Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, besides officials to discuss the situation as there is a fear of outbreak of measles.
"I assured them that we will provide the best possible help," he said.
On the requirement of the state for doctors and paramedical staff, Mr Vardhan said he had told the Chief Minister that it will be met if a request is made with a detailed deployment plan. (
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When pointed out that the state health department had sought at least 300 paramedical staff, he told PTI, "We will meet all their needs. Our teams are ready and we can immediately send them."
While committing about the Centre's support, the Minister said there can be no better example (of the Centre's support) than the fact that Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami had been stationed in the state for the last six days and he was monitoring the relief operations. (
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Regretting the fact that many of the doctors of the Jammu and Kashmir government had still not reported for work, he said the state administration should deploy all its employees and "nobody should be allowed to take leave" in a situation like this.
"Local doctors should be (present) in adequate numbers," he stressed.
Mr Vardhan, a doctor himself, said people need to be educated to take care of their hygiene to avoid falling ill. On incidents of stone-throwing in some areas, he said they were "sad" and "unfortunate" cases, and hailed the armed forces for the rescue and relief operations, saying their contribution will be "written with golden letters".