US Health Department organizes special meeting for ‘nuclear war’ preparedness.

Washington: The stern reply given by the US President Donald Trump, to North Korea on nuclear war, had become a topic of much discussion. As a backdrop to this the ‘Alert’ published by the US Department of Health, has drawn a lot of attention. The US Health Department has in the coming week, organized a special programme for the citizens to guide them on precautions and preparedness to be taken in an eventuality of a nuclear war.

The US ‘Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’ (CDC), had published a post on their website last week. Titled the ‘Public health reponse to a nuclear detonation’, it gives information of the programme scheduled for the 16^th January. While giving the background to the programme, the Post mentions that there may not be any possibility of a nuclear strike, its results nevertheless are devastating and the time to take protective action would be limited. The very idea of a nuclear attack creates fear in the minds of people. The Post added that an apt planning and preparedness could however, reduce the count of victims and aid in preventing diseases.

The ‘CDC’ information laid stress on the first 24 hours after a nuclear strike to be critical and hence must be spent in a sheltered place; this is where the role of the public health agencies becomes important. The information further stated that the machinery at the National, State and the District levels would no doubt be prepared, but it would also be informed how the local level health departments would respond to the crisis. The information from ‘CDC’ added that the response to every day disaster and preparedness for these disasters is different from a nuclear disaster. The scheduled programme would no doubt introduce these topics.

Special officials from the ‘CDC’ and the US Food and Drug Administration would participate in the programme for necessary guidance.

In the context of multiple nuclear tests conducted by North Korea in the past year, the possibility of a nuclear war escalating between the US and North Korea seems high, speculate many analysts. Likewise, many US military officials present or past have given warning signals on this issue. Just last week, the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un warned that the ‘nuclear button’ is on his table. To this the US President Donald Trump retorted, that he has a bigger ‘button’ and also the knowhow to operate it.