People's physical, financial losses increasing with temp rise

The average temperature of our country, like that of other countries, is increasing every year due to global warming. This year recorded the highest temperature in 58 years. Health risks are increasing due to the rising temperature.

As the temperature increases day by day, new diseases are emerging, while the severity of the existing diseases is increasing. As a result, people's medical expenses are increasing, which is harming people's productivity. People are suffering heat strokes and those who work outside are not able to work properly in intense heat. It affects their families as well as the economy.

In Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka city, we do not have enough trees. Plants have a natural cooling system, but in cities that cooling system is destroyed. There is not much difference regarding health between the rich and the poor in the villages, but that difference in the city is much greater. There are homeless poor people, slum dwellers as well as the wealthy living in luxury. The health gap between the rich and the poor is greater in cities. However, the urban poor are less willing to seek treatment, because they have to pay out of pocket for it. If the temperature continues to rise like this, it will have a huge impact on the health of the people in the city and on their medical expenses.

We do not have the power to lower the temperature. So, we have to take initiatives to prevent and treat the diseases that are caused by intense heat. Then people's physical and financial loss will be reduced.

Now that people are suffering heat strokes, doctors are giving advice individually through social media or different other media regarding what can be done to prevent it. But if the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had an emergency department which would be in charge of controlling emergencies, it could have given various suggestions, taken measures, and trained health workers in an organised way.

DGHS should have an emergency unit to handle any emergency like the outbreak of Covid-19, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue, and disease related to heatwave. Now it is necessary to set up an emergency unit at DGHS to handle the emergency situations.

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid is a professor at Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University

TBS Staff Correspondent Tawsia Tajmim interviewed Prof Dr Syed Abdul Hamid over the phone.