Tamil Nadu ready to handle heat waves to monsoon vagaries: Health Minister Ma Subramanian
Besides conducting district-wise awareness programmes and Mobile Medical Units visiting rural areas, the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) has stocked Rs 3.29 crore worth 25 special drugs such as Doxycycline, Paracetamol, Amoxicillin, ORS powder and Acyclovir in all PHCs in the State.
Health minister Ma Subramanian (Image/X)
CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday informed the Assembly that the government has made elaborate arrangements, including stocking Rs 3.29 crore worth special drugs in all Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in the State to handle heat wave among the monsoon blues.
Replying to a call attention motion moved in the House by Congress MLA J G Prince regarding the adequate stocking of drugs at government hospitals to handle diseases spread during the summer, Subramanian said that the department, in coordination with other departments, has undertaken elaborate measures efficiently to monitor and prevent the spread of communicable diseases and address other issues like dehydration, heat stroke, skin allergies, conjunctivitis and virus induced diseases like Chicken Pox and water-borne diseases like diarrhea and vector-borne diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya.
Besides conducting district-wise awareness programmes and Mobile Medical Units visiting rural areas, the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) has stocked Rs 3.29 crore worth 25 special drugs such as Doxycycline, Paracetamol, Amoxicillin, ORS powder and Acyclovir in all PHCs in the State.
Adding that the drug availability has been constantly monitored using Drug Distribution Management System software and weekly reviews were held with all district health officers, the minister said that water samples were collected from reservoirs, wells, overhead tanks, treatment plants and distribution plants for testing.
Detailing the various measures to prevent heat wave-related health complications, the Health Minister said that medicines and ORS packets required to overcome dehydration have been adequately stocked. Standard Operating Procedures have been issued to combat heat waves and special arrangements have been made in all PHCs, government hospitals and government medical college hospitals by allocating two to ten beds to handle heat wave and heat stroke-related complaints.
