Odisha: Hospitals put on alert for heat stress disorders, asked to take these preventive measures

Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing heat wave conditions prevailing across Odisha, major hospitals of the State have been put on alert for heat stress disorders and asked to take some preventive measures for its management.

In a letter to the Director Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, Director of RGH Hospital in Rourkela, Superintended of all government medical colleges and hospitals, all chief district medical and public health officers and health officers of all municipality and Municipal corporations, the Directorate of Public Health said that heat wave changes usually occur from April-June in our State. Currently temperature has started rising in last week of February at different places across the State.

As you are aware that heat wave change may cause heat stress disorders like, heat stroke, heat exhaustions, heat syncope, heat cramp, heat rash etc., the district authority needs to plan the preventive and curative measures to reduce morbidity and mortality in the community, the letter added.

Here are some preventive measures to manage heat stress disorders:

1. Give status of stock and store position of medicines at district headquarter hospitals along with details of quantity placed at health institutions upto Sub-centres. Ensure supply of adequate quantity or ORS packets and other heat stress related drugs to all the health institutions, sub centre, ASHA & AWW level.
2. Give the number of beds earmarked for heat stress disorder patients (institution wise) i.e DHH, SDH, CHC & PHC.
3. Number of air coolers/ air conditioners rooms available (institution wise). All DHH/SDH should have earmarked air conditioned rooms for management of heat stress disorders.
4. List of refrigerators (ILR) and deep- freezer in working condition (institution wise)
5. Control rooms should be functional round the clock from 1^st March to 15^th July up to PHC level.
6. Details of control rooms with telephone number place of functioning, contract person (institution wise) to be available with the district control room.
7. Name of the Nodal Officer of the district and telephone number to be available.
8. Number of district and block level co-coordination meeting taken.