Post-disaster recovery efforts such as disinfection and ensuring medical supply are underway in Huludao City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, which was hit hard by torrential rain-triggered floods recently.
The torrential rain has left at least 11 people dead and 14 others missing in Huludao, with the hardest-hit areas being Jianchang and Suizhong counties. The flooding has resulted in significant damage to roads, power systems, telecommunication networks, residential houses, and agricultural land. The transportation of medicine to some villages and towns in Jianchang County was also temporarily disrupted.
But currently, the medical supply has been restored, said Wu Haiyan, head of the Health Center of Datun Township in the county, adding the current reserves of drugs are relatively sufficient.
"After the downpours, we must not only ensure an adequate supply of medicines for all the residents who come to our hospital for treatment, but also guarantee the medical supply for every village health clinic in the countryside," said Wu, the township health center director.
Meanwhile, the clearing of mud and debris and disinfection effort are making steady progress to minimize the disaster's impact on people's life.
Eight out of nine local schools that were inundated in the disaster have finished mud clearing, which was followed by thorough disinfection procedures.
"We're paying special attention to disinfecting places like classrooms and poorly-lit areas like water-heating rooms, and are working hard to ensure that the school will start by September 1. To put the safety of teachers and students in priority, we must carry out disinfection as the flood may cause secondary hazards," said Yu Jinglai, secretary of the Party Committee of Heishanke Township Primary School.
Four experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and 17 public health experts from the Liaoning Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention were dispatched to the county to provide guidance on post-disaster epidemic prevention.
"Upon arrival in Jianchang, we immediately provided disinfection technical training to workers at the disease control center, township staff, and members of the disinfection teams. Next, we will organize professionals to provide on-site technical guidance to each disinfection team, ensuring that disinfection work will be carried out in a scientific and standardized manner," explained Wang Junlong, deputy director of the environment and sanitation department under the Liaoning Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is reported that over 1,300 epidemic prevention workers, along with 400 disinfection machines and 3.5 tons of disinfectants, were deployed for a thorough disinfection in 78 villages in nine townships of Jianchang County and 16 villages in four townships of Suizhong County.
Disinfection, medical supply restoration underway in rainstorm-hit Huludao
