Flood relief work in full swing

The health directorate in Tabuk is working at full capacity to ease the suffering of the people affected by this week's flood. 
“The directorate’s relief plans implemented in conjunction with other government departments to minimize the distress caused by heavy rains and floods has been successful. Eleven ambulance teams staffed by 53 trained men from the relief and emergency administration and other vehicles equipped with medical facilities are serving the affected people,” Muhammad Al-Towailei, director of health affairs in Tabuk, said in a statement yesterday.
Al-Towailei added that the department supplied six additional ambulances to the province’s Red Crescent, besides keeping standby relief workers in all hospitals and health centers. It also opened two separate clinics for men and women at the shelters for rain victims. Aside from this, it instructed hospitals to be ready to face any eventuality related to rain and floods. 
The director general also instructed hospitals to supervise the movement of ambulances, giving priority to flood cases over other less urgent ones. 
Coordination efforts are also under way between the operations center of the governorate and the Civil Defense, besides preparing medical supplies to ensure the smooth functioned of the health facilities. The supply teams are responsible for ensuring there are sufficient stock of the required medical equipment and medicine.
Torrential rain and flash floods prompted the relief teams to evacuate people from valleys and other threatened areas and led to the closure of schools in Tabuk on Monday. A baby boy died in Wadi Rawafa when he fell from the hands of his mother after the family’s car was trapped in floodwaters. A Civil Defense team rescued the family and recovered the child’s body.