The Chinese Ministry of Health and the China Meteorological
Administration jointly released an official Emergency Plan for
Heatstroke Incidents. The plan is designed to effectively prevent
and monitor heatstroke incidents resulting from the recent
sweltering weather that has lingered over most parts of the
country.
The ministry has urged local health departments to strengthen
their inspection systems for heatstroke incidents beginning August
1. The direct-reporting system for public health emergencies under
the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has requested
that cases be reported in a timely fashion.
Local health departments and meteorological bureaus are also
ordered to launch heatstroke prevention programs and to strengthen
public disease education policies.
According to the emergency plan, heatstroke incidents are put
into four categories based on weather conditions, their severity
and how they develop.
From June 1 through September 30, local authorities should
activate and maintain their monitoring and reporting systems.
Health departments should cooperate with meteorological bureaus,
submitting prevention and treatment plans together to local
governments. In this way advance cautionary notices can be released
to the public.
Weather conditions that provoke heatstroke also fall into four
levels. The specific colors: blue, yellow, orange and red, indicate
danger, with blue the least severe and red the most serious.
(China.org.cn by Huang Shan, August 1, 2007)
