New Delhi: Continuous efforts towards generating awareness is necessary for better management of heat waves, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday (April 3) and added effective addressing leads to effective management. Mr Mandaviya, who chaired a meeting to review public health preparedness for the management of heat-related illnesses, highlighted the importance of timely action as soon as India Meteorological Department (IMD) alerts are received in the states. He said,
Timely, advance and wide awareness among the people on the preventive measures will hugely support in reducing the severe impact of such heat waves.
Highlighting the lack of accurate data from the ground, Mr Mandaviya noted the importance of creating a central database with inputs from states to share field-level information on heat waves, including deaths and cases, so that a realistic assessment of the situation can be made.
Also Read: IMD Predicts Heatwave Conditions Across Multiple States In South India As Summer Intensifies
He also advised senior officials to meet with states for better coordination and understanding, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in the efficient management of heat-related illnesses.
Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar stressed on the formation of state- and district-level committees for information and awareness campaigns.
She also highlighted the importance of equipping Ayushman Arogya Mandirs with water coolers, ice packs and other basic necessities.
She emphasised the need for states to accelerate field-level implementation of state action plans for addressing the effects of heat waves.
A granular status and analysis of overall heatstroke forecasting, pattern, climatology and vulnerable zones in India and areas most prone to increased heat waves was made by IMD officials, covering the trajectory of rainfall patterns, humidity and forecast of transition from El Nino to El Nino-Southern Oscillation.
It was pointed out that heat action plans have been updated in 23 states while around 100 districts have campaigns on heatwave awareness generation.
An advisory was issued on February 29 by the Union health secretary to all chief secretaries, requesting compliance of states with the national action plan on heat-related illnesses for effective preparedness of facilities to address heat impact and management of cases.
The states were also advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, ice-packs, ORS and drinking water for the public.
Also Read: India To See Warmer Summer, More Heatwave Days This Year: India Meteorological Department
It was also informed that the National Centre for Disease Control has issued the dos and don’ts to be followed by the general public as well as vulnerable people during the summer months.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
