KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has deployed a total of 56 teams with various medical expertise to states severely affected by floods, including mental first-aid at PPS.

Deputy director-general of Health (Public Health) Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli said they comprised medical, health and psychological first-aid teams, she said when contacted by Bernama today.

"Twelve teams have been deployed to Kelantan and sent to work at the temporary relief centres in Pasir Mas,” she said, adding that the team comprised medical officers, nurses and health care assistants.

Dr Norhayati said the main task of the medical team was to examine, treat and record the number of patients in the centres and send retentives to the operations room for monitoring.

"This team will also detect emergency cases in the centres for immediate referral to the hospital for more effective treatment.

"They also need to report to the flood control room about cases of infectious diseases that occur in the centres for control measures to curb infection in order to avoid outbreaks,” she said.

As for the health team, Dr Norhayati said they were tasked with inspecting and monitoring the cleanliness, food preparation equipment, food handling hygiene and the quality of drinking water at the centres.

"The presence and breeding places of cockroaches, flies and rats are also checked, including the eradication of breeding places and the investigation of infectious disease cases as a preventive measure,” she added.

She said the psychological first-aid team will conduct sessions such as relaxation techniques, art therapy and psycho-education for victims who may be affected mentally and emotionally by the flood situation. — Bernama