Coronavirus fear prompts Assam to introduce new flood relief camp guidelines

The fear of coronavirus infection in relief camps during flood this Monsoon has prompted Assam government to introduce new guidelines in its disaster management manual.

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has issued relief camp management guidelines to its district units and all stakeholders to take sufficient measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus among camp inmates during floods.

The guidelines has prescribed to allot at least seven square meter space for each inmate against 3.5 sq meter space maintained in relief camp during floods that wreck havoc across Assam almost every year. This is aimed at ensuring at least one meter space between two inmates. "Identify additional relief camps in addition to the existing pre-identify camps as per population density of villages to earmark space for social distancing. Ensure sufficient hand-wash/soap, sanitizers, masks for the camp inmates. The Relief camp premises should be strictly notified as no-spitting, no tobacco zone," said the new guidelines included in the Assam Disaster Management Manual 2015.

Over 90 people died in floods last year and more than 40 lakh people in 30 of Assam's 33 districts were affected by the flood last year.

The new camp guidelines has made it mandatory that the medical teams to be deployed for healthcare of the flood-hit people should be armored with basic Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) for conducting screening during registration process. "Pre-identification of the medical facilities such as ambulances for transportation of infected, isolation facilities nearby should be done. In case of sneezing, cough, fever and common cold, immediate medical supervision to be made and he/she may be kept separately as per COVID-19 norms and regulations. E-help desk should be facilitated in all operational relief camps with the help of Pratirodhi Bondhu (volunteera) as counselor/ facilitator. SoP should be prepared in collaboration with ASDMA for distribution of relief items/cooked food adhering precautionary measure as per COVID-19 norms and regulations," it said.

It also asked the stakeholders to identify and operationalize child friendly spaces for integrated service delivery to women and children while maintaining social distance norms in all activities to be conducted in the relief camps.

"As Monsoon is approaching, we are gearing up to tackle the floods. But this year the challenge to support those who might get affected due to flood will be even tougher due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has also affected Assam. Relief Camp Management Guidelines have been included in order to be better equipped to deal with flood situation vis-à-vis COVID-19," said an official in ASDMA.

A total of 91 persons in Assam tested COVID-19 positive so far, of which two died.