The central government will send a team of health experts to both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the two states worst hit by heatwave, to assist the state governments in addressing the situation. The announcement was made by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review public health preparedness to deal with heatwave conditions.
“A team of experts from the Union Health Ministry, ICMR, IMD and NDMA will visit the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to support them in public health response measures to address heat-related illnesses,” the minister said.
Claiming that the Centre had taken timely measures ahead of the summer season to address the heatwave-related illness, Mandaviya also directed the ICMR to conduct a research on how to minimise the effect of heat waves on health, with specific short, medium and long-term action plans.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review preparedness ahead of the summer season in March while the Union Health Ministry issued a heat wave advisory in February where States were advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, packs, ORS, drinking water as well as dissemination of necessary IEC materials,” he said.
Mandaviya urged states and central agencies to enhance awareness among people regarding preventive measures through multi-media IEC campaigns. “Sensitization of masses is important, but sensitization and capacity building of medical officers, health staff, and grass-root level workers on heat-related illness, its early recognition and management is also important,” said the minister.
Niti Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl and India Meteorological Department (IMD) experts were present at the meeting. Over the past few days, deaths due to heat stroke have been reported from different parts of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.
