The Ministry of Health for the Canary Islands has issued an orange notice, as per the Plan of Preventive Actions for the Effects of Excess Temperatures on Health, initially for today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) in the south of Gran Canaria for San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Santa Lucía de Tirajana, which include Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles.
The temperature thresholds established in the Prevention Plan for 2023 are 33 degrees Celsius for the province of Las Palmas and 34 degrees Celsius for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife for an orange warning.
This means the Ministry of Health is obliged to issue warnings and give advice to reduce the effects on people's health from excessive temperatures and coordinate with the Canary Islands health service for emergency care in the archipelago.
The General Directorate of Public Health has coordinated the Preventive Action Plan in the Canary Islands since it was established in 2004, and its job is to study the epidemiological impact of high temperatures on the health of the population and coordinate the healthcare departments and emergency services of the Canary Islands, as well as notifying them of the forecast of alert situations.
Public Health advice and measures to prevent the effects of exposure to high temperatures, especially for those over 65 years of age, infants, pregnant women, and other groups considered vulnerable populations:
Prevention measures include staying in cool, shaded, or air-conditioned places for as long as possible, as well as reducing physical activity and avoiding outdoor sports during the central hours of the day.
They also recommend drinking water or liquids frequently, even if you do not feel thirsty and regardless of the physical activity that is carried out, and avoiding drinks with caffeine, alcohol, or high sugar content, as they can promote dehydration.
They also ask to pay special attention to babies, small children, pregnant or lactating women, as well as the elderly, or anyone with diseases that can be aggravated by heat such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, pathologies that make mobility difficult, dementia and other mental illnesses, as well as victims of drug or alcohol abuse.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Among the recommendations for the general population, as anyone can suffer from a heat-related problem, include wearing light, loose-fitting clothing that allows perspiration; do not leave anyone in a parked and closed vehicle, and consult a health professional in the event of symptoms that last for more than an hour and that may be related to high temperatures.
They also recommend only eating light meals that help replace the salts lost through sweat and keeping medicines in a cool place, as heat can alter their composition and effects.
Faced with a situation of high temperatures, the Government of the Canary Islands has announced that it can activate this Plan for the Prevention of Excess Temperatures in the Health of People, with health risk warnings, as well as others such as the Specific Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Care for Risks due to Adverse Meteorological Phenomena (PEFMA), by declaring an alert due to a risk situation for the population, property, or the environment.
