The Jharkhand health department has directed all districts to take adequate precautions at hospitals to tackle heat wave conditions ahead of the coming summer this year, asking all districts to send daily health bulletins till the end of July.

State health department additional chief secretary Arun Kumar Singh dispatched detailed SOPs to all 24 districts on Friday night on measures to be taken to treat heat radiation illness as per the national action plan devised in July last year. Sources in the know maintained that this was the first time that such an advisory was issued by the state health department.

“Global warming is leading to a rise in temperatures everywhere which is adversely affecting health. The Union government has prepared an action plan in view of the heat wave that can lead to dehydration, headache, vertigo, cardiovascular complications, cerebral stroke, sun stroke, among others. Taking these into account, all the districts must adhere to the heat radiation illness surveillance programme and send daily reports to the health department (in Ranchi),” read the letter.

Directing civil surgeons, the letter mandates that standard treatment protocols for rapid assessment to identify suspected heat related illness among people must be followed. It has also asked them to set up rapid response teams at district and block levels to address exigencies.

“Districts are also advised to create dedicated beds for treating such ailments and keep mandatory items such as fluids, ORS and medicines ready in advance,” said the letter.

The health department has also directed districts to set up outreach clinics in order to identify vulnerable populations in their area and take preventive steps. “Also, facilities of ORS, cold drinking water must be in place for people visiting outpatient departments (OPDs) and the emergency,” it said. It has also asked districts to activate a 104 helpline for health advisories and create awareness on ways to beat heat strokes through mass media.

Notably, the maximum temperature in Ranchi, East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) and other key towns of the state is already hovering over 30 degree Celsius. As per a Met office bulletin, the maximum temperature in Ranchi on Saturday was 32 degree Celsius and was expected to increase by two degrees by March 16. East Singbhum touched 35 degree Celsius and the temperature could increase by a degree during the same period. Coal town Dhanbad, which recorded 34 degree Celsius, is projected to increase at least by four notches by March 16.