No outbreak of disease in flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand: Health Minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that no outbreak of any water, food or air-borne disease has been reported from the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand.

"Till now, there has been no outbreak of disease reported from the affected areas," Azad told media here.

Azad further said three more teams having specialists each in Medicine, Cardiology and Psychiatry will be sent to the hill state.

Besides these, three more teams from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore, will be sent to provide psychiatric help and counselling to people there.

A three-member high-level committee from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is in Dehradun to review the public health situation with state health authorities.

Meanwhile, relief and rescue operation to evacuate stranded pilgrims and tourists from the disaster-affected areas is in its last leg.

A total of 1, 04,687 people have been evacuated from different locations till now. Above 2000 were evacuated from Badrinath, Gangotri valley and Pithoragarh yesterday by road and air.

17 helicopters including ten from Air Force and Army were pressed into service for evacuation operation.