KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called on state governments to step up their preparedness to face major floods and take measures to ensure that environmental damage does not make the situation worse.
In addition to natural and geographical factors, he said human factors could also be the cause of major floods to the extent that areas that have never been hit by floods are experiencing them now.
Illegal logging and uncontrollable forest clearing have caused severe damage to the ecosystem, while the water catchment areas no longer function, he said.
“Forest clearing without caring for the preservation of the environment must be stopped,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday, Bernama reported.
Ahmad Zahid said drainage systems also need to be maintained to prevent floods.
“Maintaining a good drainage system should be a habit and not be given priority only when there is a flood,” he said, adding that leaders must also be prepared at all times for natural disasters.
He also called on non-governmental organisations, flood victims and academics to give their feedback to help the government arrive at the best solution to deal with flooding.
He said when a major flood occurs, it will result in loss of life, and damage to crops, livestock, property and infrastructure.
“Flood victims experience trauma. Their damaged vehicles need to be repaired and their income is affected. This causes the life happiness index to fall and their well-being is affected,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid said in 2021, the Statistics Department had estimated that the total loss due to floods across the country to be worth around RM6.1bil through damage to residences, vehicles, business premises, and infrastructure.
“This does not include the large expenditures to help manage major floods, repair severely damaged infrastructure, provide flood relief centres, and various other expenditures to ensure that the people are better protected,” he added.
On Friday, the Health Ministry identified 56 teams with various types of medical expertise to be sent to states severely affected by floods, including mental first-aid at temporary shelters (PPS).
Health deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli said they comprised medical, health and psychological first-aid teams.
“Twelve teams have been deployed to Kelantan and sent to work at the temporary relief centres in Pasir Mas,” she said when contacted by Bernama, adding that the teams comprised medical officers, nurses and healthcare assistants.
Dr Norhayati said the main task of these medical teams was to examine, treat and record the number of patients in the centres.
“These teams 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 infections in order to avoid outbreaks,” she added.
As for the health teams, Dr Norhayati said they were tasked with inspecting and monitoring the cleanliness, food preparation equipment, food handling, hygiene, and quality of drinking water at PPS.
“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.”
Dr Norhayati said the psychological first-aid teams will conduct sessions such as relaxation techniques, art therapy, and psycho-education for victims who may be affected mentally and emotionally by the flood.
