The people’s suffering during the floods is manifold, immediate and long-term, direct and indirect.
Suddenly, everything is washed away, sometimes even loved ones, and, in many cases, livelihoods. They are uprooted from their homes and communities; they get separated from their loved ones, and there is no longer any social support network. As a result, they undergo extreme mental stress and, in many cases, suffer physically.
Hence, any emergency response during the flood season has a healthcare component. In order to organise a suitable healthcare response, it is important to understand what afflicts people most frequently during the floods.
In general, there are five groups of medical and healthcare problems during the floods, and healthcare provision should be planned accordingly.
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