Hanoi (VNA) - Residents must work closely withmedical workers to prevent and control epidemics in areas where flood watershad been lingering in Hanoi’s Chuong My district for more than 10 days, said NguyenKhac Hien, Director of the municipal Department of Health.

Located about 30km fromdowntown Hanoi, Chuong My, Quoc Oai and My Duc districts were among the hardesthit by heavy downpours which began on July 21, and a large part of Chuong My district was left under water.

Water levels in the Bui Riverare slowly dropping, but more than 100 households in Nam Phuong Tien and Tan Tiencommunes remain flooded, along with  Phu Cat, Liep Tuyet, Phuc Lam, LeThanh and Huong Son. The situation has improved in Quoc Oai and My Ducdistricts, but trash covers the sodden landscape.

Nguyen Van Manh, Chairman of the Tan Tien CommunePeople’s Committee, said that the health sector was working with localauthorities to ensure sanitation and prevent diseases.

However, due to the piles of rubbish, thecommittee had been forced to ask for support from Chuong My district.

In Quoc Oai district, Chairman of the Can HuuCommune People’s Committee Vu Van Loi said that the commune had called on allforces to clean up the environment.

Local authorities had chemically treated allhouseholds to prevent diseases, and residents had returned to farming, he said.

Hien said that the department had asked thelocal health sector to work with the Hanoi Ophthamology Hospital, the Ha DongOphthamology Hospital, the Hanoi Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology andthe Hanoi Preventive Medicine Centre to strengthen health care for residents. Freehealth examinations will also be provided.

Hanoi has a variety of medicines on hand totreat diseases that often occur after floods, especially for eye, skin andvenereal diseases.

Medical stations have assigned workers to be onduty day and night, while residents have been urged to keep the environmentclean, clear bushes and ensure food hygiene and safety.

Radio stations are also broadcasting guidelinesabout drowning prevention, disease prevention and food safety.  

The Hanoi Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology,the Ha Dong Eye Hospital and the Chuong My District Hospital have preparedenough medical staff and medicines to give general health checks to 8,500people in the seven villages most seriously hit by the flooding in Tan Tien,Nam Phuong Tien and Hoang Van Thu communes from August 6 to 22.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department ofHealth Hoang Duc Hanh said that so far no diseases had been reported in ChuongMy district.-VNA