Sunstroke Deaths: Odisha Govt Alerts Health Facilities On Heat Related Illness

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of death of five persons due to sunstroke and forecast of heatwave for five more days, Odisha government has directed health facilities at different levels to stay in total readiness for dealing with heat related diseases.

Shalini Pandit, secretary, Health and Family Welfare department, in a special guideline on Friday, directed all medical colleges and hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, community health centres and district headquarter hospitals to scrupulously ensure preparedness as per government instructions issued on March 19.

Referring to the  National Action Plan on Heat Related Illnesses and State Action Plan on Heat Related Illness, she directed to ensure proper management of heat related cases, surveillance and proactive measures for mitigating the chances of morbidity.

The secretary issued the following guidelines for the health facilities:

• Ensure logistics to meet the exigencies. Preparedness must be reviewed with regard to availability of earmarked beds, adequate quantity of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, ice packs, ORS and necessary equipment to provide active, emergency medical care with uninterrupted power supply.
• Guidance on development of heatstroke room and emergency management of severe heat-related illnesses should be disseminated. Availability of sufficient drinking water and continued functioning of cooling appliances in critical areas must be ensured.
• Undertake proper investigation of suspected heat related illness (HRI) death as per Nation Action Plan to understand the circumstances around a suspected HRI death.
• Post-mortem of all suspected HRI deaths are to be conducted. The information regarding death should be submitted to the government immediately. The confirmed deaths would be notified by SRC/district collector.
• Efforts should be made for sensitisation and capacity building of medical officers, health staff, grassroot level workers on heat illness, its early recognition and management. Training manuals developed by NCDC on these subjects made available earlier should be used for orientation.
• Districts may also utilise Information, Education and Communication (IEC) as well as community level awareness materials developed by NPCCHH & Director SIHFW regarding the precautions to be taken by population to safeguard them against heatwave.