Health Minister orders hospitals to stay ready and keep services running as monsoon hits

Health Minister K.G. Arunraj has instructed all health officials to keep medical services running and improve hospital readiness as the Northeast monsoon begins. He told every district to adopt steps that stop disease spread, avoid deaths and maintain uninterrupted care. The most vulnerable districts – Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari – must ensure government hospitals, primary health centres, urban PHCs, sub‑centres and vaccine cold‑chain units are fully prepared. A pre‑emptive evacuation plan is required for facilities in low‑lying, riverbank or coastal zones, with patient transfers to safer hospitals arranged in advance. Blood banks, vaccination sites, drug stores and critical power equipment must be located on raised ground to avoid flood damage. Medical camps should be set up in flood‑affected areas together with district authorities and local bodies. Sufficient medical teams, mobile units and ambulances are to be positioned at relief centres before the rains. Continuous power must be guaranteed for intensive‑care, cardiac‑care, neonatal‑care units, operation theatres and vaccine refrigeration, coordinating with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Public Works Department to keep transformers on elevated sites with fuel reserves. Oxygen supplies in public and private hospitals must cover at least a week, along with ventilators, ambu‑bags and fully stocked ambulances. Essential drugs, IV fluids, disinfectants, oral rehydration salts, anti‑snake venom, chlorine tablets and other consumables should also last seven days, with the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation ensuring timely deliveries. Electricians, plumbers, lift operators and sanitation workers are to be on call round‑the‑clock, and lifts and fire‑fighting gear must be ready. Drains, sewage lines and toilets need regular cleaning, and pumps should be ready to remove water from low spots. After rainfall, surveillance for dengue, leptospirosis, chikungunya, acute diarrhoeal and other water‑borne illnesses will be intensified for early treatment. Pregnant women near delivery are advised to avoid flood‑prone zones and seek medical guidance. ## Context Tamil Nadu’s monsoon season often brings heavy flooding and spikes in water‑related diseases; the minister’s orders aim to prevent these recurring problems by strengthening health facilities before the rains arrive.