Just days after a 40-year-old factory worker succumbed to heat stroke at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, Delhi has reported its second heat-related fatality due to the extreme temperatures.
On May 28, a 55-year-old man passed away at Safdarjung Hospital, only hours after being admitted to the emergency department. Despite receiving treatment in the heat stroke clinic, doctors were unable to save him.
Dr. Charu Bamba, Officer-In-Charge of the New Emergency Block at Safdarjung Hospital, noted that five patients were admitted to the hospital’s heat stroke clinic on Friday. She stated, “So far, we have had 11 cases of heat stroke out of which one patient passed away.”
Delhi experienced heatwave conditions for the sixth consecutive day on Friday, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 45.8 degrees Celsius, which is six degrees above the normal.
According to doctors, heat stroke occurs when the body can no longer regulate its temperature, and the sweating mechanism fails to cool it down.
In preparation for heat-related illnesses, Safdarjung Hospital has set up two beds in the Emergency Room, five beds in emergency medicine ward A, and six beds in medicine ward number 16. The hospital has also put up banners outlining the management protocol and symptoms of heat-related illness.
Poonam Dhanda, Safdarjung Hospital PRO, assured that the hospital is well-equipped with ice packs, ORS, and IV fluids. She added, “We have trained and sensitised doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff on how to deal with heat-related illness. We have an adequate drinking water facility… there is also a cooling mechanism in place which includes a centralised AC facility, pedestal fans, and garden hose spray. The best method is evaporative cooling.”
The first victim worked at a factory manufacturing pipeline fittings and was living in a room without a cooler or fan. “His body temperature shot up above 107 degrees Fahrenheit,” the attending doctors reported.