Now Reading: Star Health Issues Health Advisory for Cyclone-Hit Coastal Andhra
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Star Health Issues Health Advisory for Cyclone-Hit Coastal Andhra
The Story in Brief
Star Health and Allied Insurance Company has issued a health advisory for coastal Andhra Pradesh after two cyclones, Arnab and Murasu, hit the region in quick succession. Districts including Prakasam, Nellore, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam are affected or likely to be affected, with heavy rain, waterlogging and disruption to power and transport reported.
The company warned that contaminated water can cause typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A and diarrhoeal illness, while stagnant water breeds mosquitoes that spread dengue and malaria two to three weeks later. Senior citizens, children and people with existing conditions are most vulnerable. Star Health urged households to drink only boiled or chlorinated water, wash hands after contact with floodwater, clear stagnant water, and consult a doctor early for fever, diarrhoea or vomiting rather than self-medicating.
Policyholders can access unlimited teleconsultations and call 7200 222 333 for guidance. Non-policyholders can book a free Virtual Doctor Consultation on the Star Health app. Star Health Business Head for Andhra Pradesh, Srinivas KBB, said a fever appearing a week or two after the water drains is one a doctor should see, as roads remain blocked and transport unreliable.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The advisory shifts focus from the immediate cyclone response to the slower public health risk that follows: waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases that peak weeks after the rain stops. Star Health is positioning teleconsultation and home health care as practical alternatives when roads and power are still disrupted, and its own utilisation data, a 4.2-times increase in Andhra Pradesh between April and September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, suggests take-up is already rising. What remains unresolved is how far the private health system can fill gaps in areas where the public health infrastructure is itself flooded or cut off.
Source: deccanchronicle.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
