Central team to visit UP, Bihar to help states tackle heat wave

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya directed this on Tuesday as he chaired a high-level meeting related to public health preparedness for heatwave management across the country.

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Relative carry the body of Ashutosh Tiwari, who allegedly died of heat stroke from district hospital in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo)

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A team of experts from the Union Health ministry, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will visit Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to support the two states in public health response measures to address heat-related illnesses.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya directed this on Tuesday as he chaired a high-level meeting related to public health preparedness for heatwave management across the country.

Mandaviya also said directions were given in the meeting to create short-term and long-term action plans by officials from IMD and disaster management with the ICMR taking the lead. After the meeting Mandaviya said, “I have directed the ICMR to prepare an action plan so that in future there are no deaths due to heat wave and heat stroke.”

There have been reports of at least 68 likely heat-related deaths from a single district — Ballia — in Uttar Pradesh over the last few days.

The minister said that he will also hold a video conference meeting with disaster management officials and health minister of states in the East of the country such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand where the heat wave is likely to continue.

The IMD in its forecast on Tuesday said that heat wave conditions are likely to continue in some pockets over east Uttar Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam in Puducherry, and Telangana on Tuesday. And, it is also likely to continue till Wednesday in parts of Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh. The heat wave conditions will abate after that, according to the IMD.