Floods in Mumbai: impact of public health service by hospital staff and medical students.

Dean (G & K), Prof & isaster scenarios once deemed theoretical have become a reality. Some impact a small number Head, Departments of D of people, others involve casualties but reach a plateau after a latent period. On 26 July Clinical Pharmacolcogy, 2005, Mumbai city received 944 mm of rainfall in a single day, the heaviest rainfall recorded in the *Preventive and Social past 90 years. The city was flooded and waterlogged for 48 hours. This event disrupted the physical, Medicine, **Medicine, social and environmental milieu of the city. Mumbai floods and later the floods in the European Seth G. S. Medical countries and the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans are comparable in terms of public College & KEM health concerns, although differences existed in terms f pre-disaster medical care, disease prevention Hospital, Mumbai, methods used and resources available. Public health management issues during disasters include the safety and survival of the afflicted. Providing food, safe water and medical services, relocation of those affected and implementing primary prevention measures are the key areas of action during a Correspondence: Nilima Kshirsagar, disaster. This communication wishes to share the experiences during Mumbai floods so that views E-mail: [email protected] regarding this important public health agenda are discussed on a global platform.