KATHMANDU, June 17: The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) has directed health workers not to take frequent leaves during monsoon as the chances of an outbreak of communicable diseases are really high during the period. 

Officials said that they have also asked health officials to arrange substitutes for health workers who are on leave. 
"We have alerted the health workers serving in the government health facilities across the country to be extra careful during monsoon," Dr Baburam Marasini, director at the EDCD, said. 

Hundreds of thousands of people get infected with communicable diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid, vector borne diseases like malaria, kalajar, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and others during monsoon every year.
"We have also asked them to demand medicines that their health facilities lack," added director Marasini. 

He informed that the spread of some diseases have been reported from Sindhuli, Nuwakot, Siraha and other districts. The office has also asked health workers to inform the EDCD immediately in the event of an outbreak of disease in their districts. 

The EDCD has also requested general public to maintain hygiene and precautionary measures, as anyone could be infected with communicable disease. 

Meanwhile, the EDCD has also requested big hospitals in the capital and regional hospitals to be prepared to deploy health workers to curb possible epidemics. As the EDCD does not have its own doctors, it requests big hospitals for manpower when outbreaks strike.