As the mercury crosses 40 degree mark in the city and several south Bengal districts, the state health department directed government hospitals to set up heatstroke management units across the state. The Meteorological department on Saturday sounded a red warning about heat wave in districts like East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Bankura, Birbhum and West Burdwan till Sunday. The heat wave will also be felt in Kolkata also.
The Swasthya Bhaban, state health department’s headquarters at Salt Lake, has asked every government hospital to earmark a room with at least two beds where heatstroke patients can be provided emergency management. Each room will have AC facilities along with high speed fans and adequate quantity of cold water, ice, wet towels and ECG arrangements, according to the directives of the Swasthya Bhaban. Heatstroke is a condition triggered by overheating of the body a human being, usually prolonged exposure to high temperature. The most serious condition of a heatstroke patient can occur if his or her body temperature shoots up to 104 degree F or above.
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It happens mainly in summer months. Heatstroke case requires emergency treatment otherwise it can damage brain, heart, kidneys and muscles and even cause death. City experts in general medicines said that it sometimes becomes very difficult to save a patient if cooling process of his or her body is not properly and promptly done.
The patient should be immediately bathed with normal water and ice packs would also be applied on his or her neck, groins and ears to bring down the body temperature within half an hour, they said. Meanwhile, considering scorching heat the chief justice of Calcutta High Court has exempted lawyers from wearing black gowns. A notification signed by7 the court’s registrar-general on Friday says, “Taking note of the weather, wearing of the advocate gowns is exempted till reopening of the court after summer vacation on June 10.
