Naju-si Implements 'Visiting Health Care Service' for Vulnerable Groups

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Naju City in Jeollanam-do is receiving positive responses as it provides visiting nursing services to manage the health of heat-vulnerable groups amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and consecutive heatwaves.

According to the Naju Public Health Center on the 11th, since the heatwave warning was issued on the 19th of last month, special measures for heatwave health management have been implemented targeting high-risk and health-vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, disabled persons, and chronic patients.

Eight dedicated nurses have been organized to provide customized health management through direct visits and daily check-in calls and texts, guiding the use of cooling shelters and heatwave action guidelines.

When a healthy adult is exposed to heatwaves, the body’s temperature regulation mechanism activates to maintain normal body temperature.

However, health-vulnerable groups with impaired temperature regulation functions find it difficult to recognize external temperature changes, making them highly susceptible to heat-related illnesses.

Heat-related illnesses are acute conditions caused by heat, including heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat syncope.

Prolonged unprotected exposure to direct sunlight can cause symptoms such as headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, and decreased consciousness, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.

If these symptoms appear, immediate assistance should be requested by calling 119 Safety Reporting Center or visiting the nearest hospital emergency room for emergency treatment.

Excessive sweating causes many ions, including sodium, to be lost from the body, making normal activities difficult; therefore, it is advisable to replenish fluids and nutrients such as sodium with saline or ion drinks.

Simple heat illness prevention rules to practice daily include ‘regular hydration,’ ‘taking sufficient rest,’ and ‘avoiding outdoor work and activities during heatwave hours.’

Especially, considering the COVID-19 situation, temporarily removing masks when a 2-meter distance from others outdoors is possible also helps prevent heat-related illnesses.

Yoon Sang-sik, head of the Public Health Center, said, “We plan to provide face-to-face and non-face-to-face visiting health management services for vulnerable groups until next month during the heatwave countermeasure period, in line with COVID-19 trends. Even healthy adults can be exposed to heat-related illnesses if they are active for 2 to 3 hours in heatwave weather without caution, so we ask everyone to familiarize themselves with the action guidelines.”

Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.