Heatwave: DPH steps up efforts to prevent illnesses

CHENNAI: As part of heatwave preparedness efforts, the Directorate of Public Health - Preventive Medicine has instructed the District Health Officers to undertake various measures to avoid morbidity and mortality due to heat-related illnesses.

The medical officers have been instructed to reschedule the working hours of the field health staff, including volunteers, as per the local requirements in view of the rising temperature. All health facilities should have an ORS corner for the public. The Block Medical Officer and the second level officers were instructed to ensure the availability of ORS corners, and they should refill it as frequently as required.

The Drug Distribution Management System (DDMS) portal of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation has reported that there are 10,47,607 ORS packets are available as of Wednesday. The District Health Officers were instructed to verify the portal entries and update the stock every day.

The Mobile Medical Units have been told to create awareness about the heatwave at the camp site for the common public and provide ORS fluid to the beneficiaries of the camp.

Besides reporting heat-related illnesses such as heat rash, heat oedema, heat tetany, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion in Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme-National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (IHIP-NPCCHH) portal, they should be reported through the epidemiologist from Thursday onwards until further orders.