Heat wave: a toll-free number set up

in collaboration with

Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)

Twelve departments on red alert, 25 on orange alert, a heat wave has been hitting France since yesterday and until Sunday according to the latest forecasts. Faced with this episode of early heat wave, the Government has activated since Thursday, June 16 at noon, a toll-free number accessible at 0800.06.66.66 which should remain in service throughout the heat wave according to Brigitte Bourguignon, Minister of Health.

The number that can be reached from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and free from a landline aims to “get advice to protect yourself and those around you, especially the most fragile, and to adopt the right reflexes in the event of high temperatures” according to the press release.

France on alert on a third of its territory

Unprecedented event in France, since the meteorological measurements of 1947, the country is indeed crossed by a heat wave which should fade on Sunday with the arrival of more stormy weather. A third of the departments are subject to an orange or red alert, mostly located between the South West, the Pays de la Loire and the middle Rhône Valley, where peaks of more than 40 degrees are expected.

If the red alert wishes to make the population more aware of the risks caused by heat, it above all makes it possible to trigger a vigilance plan at local and national level. Faced with this extreme wave, the prefectures of the areas on alert have already taken measures to cancel public and sporting events today and over the weekend. And school is not compulsory this day for the departments in red vigilance.

In an already tense context, emergency services expect admissions to increase, “but with delay”. Apart from heat stroke, the symptoms related to the heat wave can take a few days to be felt.

Heat wave: the good health gestures to remember

A far-sighted attitude is also recommended, based on preventive actions:

• Drink regularly throughout the day without waiting to be thirsty. Always have a bottle of water with you on the go;
• offer cold drinks to the children and elderly people around him;
• Wet the body, at least the face and forearms, several times a day;
• Do not go out during the hottest hours;
• Eat enough but avoid alcohol;
• Avoid physical exertion;
• Keep your home cool, by closing doors and windows during the day, and using fans;
• Give and regularly hear from loved ones;
• Register or register the fragile people of his entourage on the heat wave register of his municipality.

The toll-free number initiated by the Government is not, however, an emergency number to call in case of discomfort: “This is a number for obtaining information, in no way an emergency number. In case of illness, or to help someone you know, dial 15 or 18”, recalls Dr. Kerziek, emergency physician.