Assam: NHM employees brave dual challenge of corona and floods

The Assam floods have been rampant this year with the onset of monsoon. This has already affected major districts of the state. However, the effects have only increased when the 2nd wave of flood struck again with the challenges of the ongoing corona.

The water level of several rivers including the mighty Brahmaputra at different parts of Assam is flowing above danger level causing flood and consequently leaving thousands of families homeless.

The second wave of the flood has affected 1719 villages in 26 districts in the state – Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Udalguri, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Kamrup Tinsukia among other districts. There are 74 revenue circles which have been affected.

A total of 9,26,059 people and 72,665 hectares of crop area have been affected in the second wave of the flood so far. Meanwhile, 213 relief camps have been installed in three districts. In the relief camps, there are so far 49,339 people.

There are 586407 big animals, 3,08,866 small and 6,32,559 poultry.

2 more deaths in Udalguri and Jonai, Assam. Earlier, 2 deaths in Goalpara circle taking the death toll to 20. The total number of deaths from landslides is 23.

The other challenge: Corona

At the same time, the state braves another challenge, which is that of the corona pandemic. Assam reported a total of 327 COVID-19 cases on June 28^th, 2020 taking the state’s total to 7492. Of the 7492 cases, 2390 are active cases while 5088 have been cured and discharged and nine died due to the infection in the state so far.

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Guwahati alone reported a surge of 195 cases on June 29^th, 2020.

At times like these, rampant testing and reaching out to the most vulnerable during the calamity is of outmost importance for the people in Assam.

As such, the NHM employees have travelled to these affected areas to conduct testing drive and to take stock of the health issues of the patients. To counter the double fight of corona and floods, health workers in Baksa, Udalguri and Tinsukia district has sailed through challenges to conducting these tests.

Moreover, NDRF personnel in Dhemaji district express their gratitude to the Health Workers for collecting their swab samples as a part of #NISCHAYATA under #ATSP.