State launches summer heat Action Plan-2026

Vijayawada: Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said the state government has initiated advance measures to tackle the expected rise in summer temperatures. The minister reviewed the Summer Action Plan–2026 with senior officials and discussed steps to protect the public from heat-related illnesses at the secretariat on Saturday.

During the review, the minister examined measures to alert people about precautions during summer, create awareness on identifying symptoms of heatstroke, and ensure that patients seek medical help immediately.

Training programmes are also being conducted virtually for doctors and paramedical staff on how to treat heatstroke cases. The minister also discussed coordination among various government departments and the implementation of guidelines issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare with senior officials including Health Secretary Saurabh Gaur, family welfare commissioner Veera Pandian, director of secondary health Chakradhar Babu and food safety director Neelakanta Reddy. The minister said the AWARE Platform digital system will provide early warnings on the intensity of summer conditions four to five days in advance. Based on weather data, officials will identify regions likely to face severe heat and share the information with district collectors to enable timely preventive action.