Jharkhand Heatwave Alert: Hospitals on High Alert for Heat-Related Illnesses

Ranchi: State health and disaster management minister Irfan Ansari on Thursday asked all hospitals to remain on high alert and ensure availability of essential medicines to tackle heat-related illnesses, amid rising temperatures.Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for heatwave in Garhwa, Palamu, and Chatra districts on Friday and Saturday.Ansari directed civil surgeons to ensure emergency medical arrangements to tackle heatstroke, dehydration, sunburn and other heat-related illnesses.“The current weather conditions could turn into a potential public health disaster. All govt hospitals, Sadar hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres across the state have been placed on high alert,” the minister said.Hospitals have been stocked with ORS, essential medicines, IV fluids, emergency beds, cooling facilities. Medical teams are on alert mode to provide immediate treatment to patients, he added.Appealing to people not to step out of their homes unnecessarily and avoid direct exposure to sunlight, he said, “People should take sufficient fluids to keep themselves hydrated and cover themselves with a cloth, cap or umbrella while going out in the sun. If they suffer from dizziness, excessive sweating, vomiting, high fever, unconsciousness, or weakness, they should immediately consult doctors.”Ranchi recorded 38.9°C, a 2.1°C rise from normal, Jamshedpur 43.1°C, a 5.4°C rise from normal, Chaibasa 41.8°C, a 3°C rise from normal, and Daltonganj 45.2 °C, a 4.4°C rise from normal, the highest maximum temperature in the state on Thursday.