More action needed to prevent death from heatwaves
As South Australia and Victoria in particular struggled with high temperatures, leading health specialists have called for more action to be taken to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths as elderly people especially struggle in emergency conditions.
Dr Diana Egerton-Warburton, of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine’s public health committee said, “there’s this great sense of urgency about the bushfires, but we should really have the same degree of urgency about heat-related illnesses. Elderly Victorians have already died from heat-related illnesses and it’s not even summer yet”.
“There really needs to be a co-ordinated public health campaign now to inform people about the dangers of heat – because hundreds of people will die”.
Dr Egerton-Warburton said the elderly could often be slow to adjust to the changing weather and not opening windows or shedding cardigans.
The director of emergency management at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Craig Lapsley, said his department was working with local councils, health services, transport providers, and power companies to decide how to best manage heat waves.
“From our space we’re trying to get messages connected. Victorian Chief Health Officer, John Carnie should be (talking) with the fire chiefs now, because you haven’t got fire, you’ve got heat”.
The Victorian government earlier this year announced the expansion of a seniors register database for people’s details so they check by checked on during an emergency.
It also provided $1.4 million for local councils to develop heatwave strategies which could include public swimming pools being open for longer periods.
