Bhubaneswar: The Director of Public Health in Odisha has requested health officials to create a detailed plan for managing heat stress disorders.
The official has written to various authorities, including hospital directors, medical college superintendents, and public health officers, asking them to prepare a comprehensive action plan to decrease the number of cases of heat-related disorders.
Heat wave changes typically occur in Odisha between April and June, but temperatures are already rising in many places across the state. Heat stress disorders like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat cramps, and heat rash can be caused by heat wave changes, and authorities must plan preventive and curative measures to reduce morbidity and mortality in the community.
The Director has requested health officers to provide details of the quantity of medicines in stock at different health institutions, from district hospitals to sub-centres, as well as adequate supplies of ORS packets and other heat stress drugs.
The authorities should also allocate a sufficient number of beds for heat stress disorder patients and earmark air-conditioned rooms for their management. Control rooms should be operational 24/7 from March 1 to July 15, up to the PHC level.
