SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, May 15. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health, has activated the Preventive Action Plan for the Effects of Excess Temperatures on Health, which establishes the necessary measures to reduce the health effects of people associated with excessive temperatures and coordinate the institutions of the Canary Islands involved.
Thus, it is a question of activating the health care system for emergencies in the archipelago, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality and the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
The General Directorate of Public Health, which has coordinated the plan since 2004, has established an epidemiological surveillance system of the impact of high temperatures on the health of the population, coordinated with the care and emergency centers of the Canary Islands, as well as notifying the centers and municipalities affected by the forecast of alert situations.
Likewise, Public Health will provide information to the media aimed at providing useful advice and practical measures to prevent the effects of exposure to high temperatures.
With these actions it is intended to increase the individual prevention capacity to face the heat by applying measures that are easy and accessible.
The plan is aimed at the entire population, and especially designed for the population groups most vulnerable to intense heat such as the elderly, children and people with chronic pathologies, reports the Ministry in a note.
From a social point of view, marginalization, isolation, dependency, disability, the living conditions of people with fewer resources, add risk factors that make groups even more vulnerable that, precisely because of their socio-economic conditions , they should be more supported.
Specifically, all hospitals and the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) have specially designated and trained personnel to deal with and effectively coordinate services in the event of a possible heat wave, as well as communication channels.
TEMPERATURE THRESHOLDS AND RISK LEVELS
The temperature thresholds established in 2023 are 33 degrees Celsius for the province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and 34 degrees Celsius for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The criteria for assigning the levels of risk to health for situations of excess temperature, determined by the Ministry of Health, is based on a decision algorithm, they point out from the Government.
Based on this algorithm, based on the maximum temperatures expected, the established threshold, the number of days of persistence, which is specified in a minimum of three, and the risk factors of each territory, four risk levels are determined: level 0 (green), no risk; level 1 (yellow), low risk; level 2 (orange), medium risk and level 3 (red), high risk.
Given the high temperatures, the recommendations aimed at the vulnerable population are especially: stay as long as possible in cool, shaded or heated places, and cool off whenever you need to; reduce physical activity and avoid practicing outdoor sports in the central hours of the day; drink water or fluids frequently, even if you don’t feel thirsty and regardless of the physical activity you do; avoid caffeinated, alcoholic or highly sugary drinks, as they can promote dehydration and pay special attention to babies, minors, pregnant or lactating women, as well as the elderly or those with illnesses that may be aggravated by heat; wear light, loose clothing that allows perspiration; do not leave anyone in a parked and closed vehicle (especially people who are minors, the elderly or those with chronic illnesses); consult a health professional in the event of symptoms that last for more than an hour and that may be related to high temperatures; eat light meals that help replace the salts lost through sweat and keep medicines in a cool place because heat can alter their composition and effects.
