Tough summer ahead

Health Ministry specialists are growing alarmed at recent weather forecasts predicting a long and extremely hot summer, ahead and are set to take action to prevent heat and sun strokes among the population. At a news conference today, health specialists spoke about the most effective protection recipes, both for healthy and unhealthy persons, Info-Prim Neo reports. Health Minister Larisa Catrinici informed that as a delegate to the recent World Health Assembly she committed to take action to address health impacts from climate change and global warming effects. Such effects were felt in Moldova during the extremely hot summer last year, and statistics call for action and concern: it is thought that higher rates of heart attacks (+15.8 percent), angina pectoris (+ 9.6 percent) and vascular accidents (+ 7.4 percent) in Chisinau alone were the consequences of the canicular weather. Minsiter Catrinici also said that whereas all the developed countries act in advance to fight health hazards associated with hot temperatures, Moldova lags behind the developments, meaning that doctors give treatment to patients when they have already suffered the effects of the hot weather. To keep pace with the foreign health specialists, this year the Ministry will take measures to prevent accidents, e.g. employers will be urged to provide workers with drinking water and sugarless green tea. At the same time, all the medical establishments will be fully provided with the necessary medicine and fresh, cool water, added Larisa Catrinici. Moldova's chief epidemiologist Nicolae Opopol warned about the other side of the coin of the extreme temperatures – heat-induced weather hazards, like storms, heavy rainfall and floods, may spark infections and even outbreaks. Dr. Opopol believes the local authorities must get involved in instructing the population about these risks. Eleonora Vatamanu, chief cardiologist, said that the dog days impact negatively on everybody, but especially on those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases. Employers should know that productivity rates at work start to fall as the air temperature hits the +26C° mark and they must concern themselves with protecting the employees by providing them with fresh water and consider installing air conditioners. People are advised to cover their heads in sunny days, to wear light and light-colored clothes, and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.