The Central Government has recently issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories regarding the prevention and management of heatwave-related incidents. The advisory came in the wake of rising temperatures and heatwave-related illnesses and deaths across the country. The following are the instructions given by the Centre to the States related to the data sharing on deaths and hospitalisation linked to heatwave:

• The States have been instructed to create a Heat Action Plan to manage heat wave events and minimize their adverse impact on human health.
• They have been instructed to establish Heat Wave Monitoring Systems in urban areas and modify the existing ones to accommodate health-related information.
• The Health departments in all states have been advised to provide toll-free helpline numbers to report heatwave-related emergencies.
• The States have been directed to share data related to heatwave-linked mortality and morbidity with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to track the impact of heatwave and take necessary actions accordingly.
• The Centre has also suggested the State Governments to upgrade hospitals and health centres in high-heat-risk areas to cope up with the increasing number of people seeking medical assistance during a heatwave.

These instructions by the Centre are aimed at helping the States to formulate better strategies to prevent and manage heatwave-related illnesses and deaths.