Heavy monsoon rains continue to pound South Asia where severe flooding across the region has brought the death toll to 780 in recent weeks.

In Mumbai, deaths have been reported from leptospirosis, a bacterial infection which spread through contaminated water, and hospital admissions from viral fever, gastroenteritis, dengue, and malaria continues to be high.

Direct Relief received a special appeal from the Executive Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Dr. J.K. Thanekar, to provide urgently needed medicines and supplies to combat the spread of disease in the flood affected city. The Municipal Corporation is charged with overseeing the vast health network in Greater Mumbai, an area of 437 square kilometers, and manages 16 General Hospitals, 1 Infectious Disease Hospital, 3 Teaching Hospitals, 162 Municipal Dispensaries and 169 Health Posts.

This emergency airfreight shipment includes antibiotics, analgesics, anti-infectives, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, and an assortment of basic instruments and supplies.

This is Direct Relief’s second shipment to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The first shipment was sent in August 2005 when Mumbai suffered extensive flooding due to torrential rains and over 1,000 people lost their lives.