Volunteers at evacuation centres for flood-affected areas say some people have returned to stay as they have nowhere else to go after seeing that their homes destroyed. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 6, 2015.Clean water and hygiene kits like toothbrushes and soap are among the important items needed now during the post-flood phase to prevent diseases from spreading in flood-stricken areas.IMAM response and relief team (Imaret) on-the-ground mission coordinator Dr Ahmad Munawwar Helmi Salim said diseases like diarrhoea, skin disease and leptospirosis (spread water via contaminated with rat urine) typically emerge one or two weeks after floodwaters recede.He said Imaret was currently focused on distributing necessities like blankets, mattresses, cooking equipment as well as hygiene kits to flood victims to prevent diseases from spreading.“Hygiene kits to prevent disease spread and basic necessities are for them to start their life again," he told The Malaysian Insider.He said items like proper plates, cups and eating utensils were important as the reusing of polystyrene plates, even with washing, can contribute to disease.Dr Munawwar, who recently returned from Temerloh, Pahang, said flood victims also needed psychological support as some of them who were low income earners would be demotivated. Many had lost their only home and all their belongings which were swept away in the disaster.He said for post-flood relief missions, Imaret had two teams, one to focus on cleaning and the other on medical aid, which also provided psychological help and counseling.“For victims' psychological needs, we have sent a team of nine people to go to the most affected areas like Kuala Krai, and we will get more information from the ground and check which areas that the team needs to go."Imaret has also set up a mobile clinic at evacuation centres providing free medical check ups. Many flood victims were still lingering around the relief centers as some did not know what to do after finding their houses destroyed.Imaret also has teams conducting house to house checks to give out medicines, he added.There have been a few reports of people so desperate that they drank flood water, but for the most part, people were well aware about hygiene care, Dr Munawwar said.Providing clean drinking water is the focus of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), whose collection centre coordinator Mohd Kamaluyasir said they had received reports of people falling sick after drinking contaminated water.He added that the cleaning process was tedious and larger equipment like spades, hoes and wheelbarrows were needed as the mud was thick.Abim is also collecting funds to buy materials for the flood victims to rebuild their own homes.“We were told that the Kelantanese are skilled in building houses, so we will provide them the materials," Kamaluyasir said.Yayasan Darul Hijrah, meanwhile, was focusing on providing temporary shelter like tents.“As of yesterday, we have sent 50 tents to the affected areas in Kelantan," volunteer coordinator Mohd Zulhazmi said. These areas included Manjur, Karangan, Kelubu, Manik Urai and Kuala Nal.The tents provided could sleep seven or eight people.Funds are also being collected to build a temporary mass shelter in Kemubu, to be named Darul Hijrah Shelter, that will be equipped with 40 tents, toilets and a kitchen, as a place for flood victims to live while their homes are rebuilt. – January 6, 2015.
No comments :
Post a Comment