India Issues Heatwave Advisory, Directs States to Strengthen Health Preparedness
March 27 – India’s central government on Thursday directed states and Union Territories to review health facility preparedness for managing heatstroke and heat-related illnesses as temperatures begin to rise across the country.
In a letter, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized the need for uninterrupted electricity to ensure cooling appliances function efficiently. She also advised installing solar panels where feasible, adopting energy conservation measures, and implementing cooling strategies such as green roofs, window shades, and shaded outdoor areas, in line with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines.
The Health Ministry instructed states to ensure the availability of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, ice packs, and oral rehydration solutions (ORS), as well as emergency cooling equipment. It also recommended exploring rainwater harvesting and recycling plants to maintain self-sufficiency in water supply.
Public health and clinical guidelines on ‘Heat and Health’ are available on the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) website, the ministry said, urging states to disseminate these documents to all districts for effective preparedness. Since March 1, patient-level data on heatstroke cases has been recorded on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) for all states and Union Territories. The ministry added that daily heat alerts generated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and shared by the NCDC should be promptly distributed to health facilities.
“State, district, and city health departments should ensure the implementation of heat-health action plans and coordinate with other response agencies to manage extreme heat conditions,” the Health Secretary said.
The ministry also called on state health departments to continue sensitizing and training medical officers, health staff, and grassroots workers on recognizing and managing heat-related illnesses. “Early recognition of symptoms and timely intervention is key,” the ministry said.
