Heatwave conditions-Government taking all steps, says Harish Rao

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday said that the state government was well prepared to tackle the prevailing heatwave conditions.

The Health Minister participated in the review organized by the Union Health Ministry with the Health Ministers and Disaster Management Officers of the seven states on the measures to be taken in the wake of increased temperatures and hailstorms.

Harish Rao explained about the measures taken by the state government. He said that in the wake of increased temperatures and the impact of hailstorms, the Health Department was alerted early and followed a two-pronged strategy for public health care. He said that a review was conducted in the first week of March and special training was given to two medical officers per district. Through them, training was given to the medical staff of all the health centers including sub centers and PHCs at the district level.

The Minister said that public health response and hospital response systems were prepared. He explained that all the arrangements were made including conducting campaign programs to make people aware about the precautions to be taken, making necessary medicines available in all hospitals including PHC, UPHC. He also said that a provision of sheds and water facilities were made in bus stands, railway stations, building construction areas and employment guarantee works.

The Minister further said that they were ready to provide treatment to adults and children who have suffered sunstroke. He said that speciality wards and ICU beds have been arranged in the hospitals and 108 ambulances were made available and necessary medicines were also arranged in the ambulances to provide immediate medical assistance. He said that IV fluids, ORS and other medicines have been made available at all primary centres. He said that timely alerting by the Central Government and the Meteorological Department will speed up the taking of early measures by the governments in all the states. On this occasion, the minister advised the people of the state to take precautions in view of the intense heatwave conditions.