The health ministry on Sunday issued a national guideline for safeguarding the health and well-being of people during extreme heat, while asking healthcare providers across the country to keep hand fans in stock for use during power failures.
Health minister Samanta Lal Sen launched the guidelines prepared in collaboration with聽 UNICEF and the Directorate General of Health Services.
Samanta Lal said that the guidelines should be circulated to all of the public healthcare institutions across the country for them to follow.
In the guideline, district hospitals were asked to install an air conditioner or cooler fan and keep the air passage clear with wide doors and windows when AC was not available.
Hospitals were also asked to ensure the availability of safe drinking water and a functional referral system, among others.
The additional director general of the DGHS, Meerjady Sabrina Flora, said that due to climate change, people in the country had been exposed to extreme heat like other countries in the world.
A number of people are facing death due to the extreme heat, she said.
To ensure proper healthcare for the people, the government initiated the guidelines in 2023, which have now been finally launched, she said.
She said that the guideline explained the responsibility and role of community clinics to referral hospitals, other government agencies, people, and other stakeholders.
Health secretary Jahangir Alam, director general of the DGHS, Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, DGHS additional director general Ahmedul Kabir, UNICEF Bangladesh deputy representative Emma Brigham, and DGHS director Afreena Mahmud were among others to speak at the event.
