Chandigarh, Sept 18 — The Punjab Government has intensified relief efforts in flood-hit areas, recording a nearly threefold surge in people treated at health camps within a single day. Officials said that while around 51,000 individuals availed treatment on September 16, the figure rose sharply to 1.5 lakh by the following day — a 194 per cent increase.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the government’s foremost priority was to ensure that no family in the affected regions was left without medical care. “Floods not only damage homes and fields but also pose major health risks. Door-to-door check-ups are being conducted, and wherever mosquito larvae are found, spraying is done immediately. Public safety is our first priority,” he noted.
The state’s Health and Family Welfare Department has been instructed to keep services uninterrupted, with officials stressing that timely intervention has lowered the risk of disease outbreaks. As part of a special health drive launched on September 14, doctors and paramedics have been deployed across villages to provide primary healthcare, particularly for the elderly, children and pregnant women.
According to government data, 2,303 villages have hosted health camps so far, with teams conducting check-ups, providing medicines and spreading awareness about post-flood illnesses such as fever, diarrhoea and skin infections. Officials said the large-scale deployment of medical staff has created confidence among rural families that immediate help is available.
The government has also expanded relief to livestock, treating 14,780 animals and vaccinating 48,535 free of cost. Special drives are being carried out for the safe disposal of carcasses to prevent water and soil contamination.
“The plans prepared at the state level were not allowed to remain on paper but were implemented swiftly on the ground,” a senior health official said, adding that the unprecedented spike in treatments reflects both preparedness and rapid execution.
With its sharp escalation in medical outreach, the Mann Government has sought to reassure flood-affected households that their safety and well-being remain the administration’s central focus.
