| Title | Cheongju Public Health Center Devotes Full Efforts into Health Management and Infection Prevention of Flood Victims |
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| Writer | Sangdang Public Health Center Hygiene Policies Division |
| Subject |
- Immediate Deployment of Medical Assistance Support Teams and Infection Prevention Teams… Psychotherapy Also Being Provided for Flood Victims –
Cheongju-si Public Health Center is devoting its efforts to managing the health of flood victims and preventing them from catching infectious diseases. The city is working for the sake of flood victims and volunteers who have received injuries of varying severities as a result of the flood or restoration activities. Such efforts include the urgent deployment of medical assistance support teams and infection prevention teams. ▶ Emergency Relief Materials and Medical Team Support In order to ensure that flood victims taking shelter did not suffer from skin diseases or myalgia, the city used its disaster management fund to purchase and supply the victims with emergency relief materials (20 types of materials including medicinal products such as skin ointments and pain relief patches and disease prevention medicines such as repellents), and provided portable oxygen cans to soldiers sweating as they engaged in restoration projects under the sweltering heat. The Chungbuk Medical Association, Chungbuk Pharmaceutical Association, Cheongju Korea Medicine Doctors Association, Chungbuk Korea Medicine Doctors Association, etc. worked with 10 organizations including Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheong Ju Medical Center, Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and ROYAL PHARMA CO., LTD as well as over 100 medical volunteers to provide medical supplies. Among the types of diseases that the medical teams were deployed to provided support on until the 31st of the previous month, diseases in the musculoskeletal system were the most common (30.6%), followed by skin diseases (12.4%) and injuries resulting from being stabbed by nails or cut by scythes (12.4%), gastrointestinal disorders (5.0%), eye diseases (0.5%), diarrhea (0.3%), and other diseases (38.8%) including dizziness and bee stings. At the beginning of the flood, the majority of diseases were related to the skin or musculoskeletal system. However, as the restoration activities began in earnest, the number of injury patients increased as volunteers were hurt in accidents. ▶ Infection Prevention in 507 Flooded Regions In order to prevent secondary damage resulting from the waste and foul odors left behind in areas devastated by the flood, emergency disease prevention teams (2,424 members) including voluntary disease prevention teams were dispatched to 507 places until August 2nd. Over 20 private and external organizations came together to prevent diseases and disinfect vulnerable regions, such as flooded regions and trash trans-shipment sites, by providing disease prevention vehicles and supplies, including personnel of 134 people even during the weekends. These organizations included 4 –gus from Daejeon, Sejong, Boeun, Eumseong, Bucheon-si, Chungju-si, Okcheon Health Center, Chungbuk Livestock Sanitation Research Institute , Chungbuk Forest Science Museum, Pohang-siSaemaeul Association, Chukhyeop Joint Disaster Prevention Team , the Seoul, Chungbuk, Gyeonggi, Sejong, Chungnam, and Daejeon branches of the Korea Pest Control Association, and Kukbo Science. Since the 19th of the previous month, the city has been providing free vaccination against typhoid for flood victims, and focusing its efforts on preventing waterborne infections by promoting campaigns to boil water before drinking it, wash hands, and more. ▶ Enhanced Visiting Health Management and Psychotherapy Support Additionally, the city has deployed visiting health medical support teams to provide intensive visiting health management with a focus on halls for the elderly in flooded regions. Along with visiting health management for 661 people in 276 households, the teams are constantly carrying out 1-on-1 psychotherapy by having 146 members help relieve the flood victims of PTSD. An official of Sangdang Public Health Center stated, “It is a great relief that the emergency damage situation has been somewhat organized”, and said, “We will continue to devote our efforts in managing the health of flood victims and sanitizing flooded regions to prevent diseases until the flood restoration work is complete.” ▶ Inquiries: Sangdang Public Health Center Hygiene Policies Division Health Planning Team |
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| 이전글 | Apply for Cheongju-si’s Disaster Alert Texting Service |
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| 다음글 | Partial Temporary Closure of Cheongju Early Printing Museum |