Heatstroke unit and more beds: How Delhi hospitals are handling heat-related emergencies

An unrelenting heatwave swept across northern India, with a minimum temperature being 35.2 degrees Celsius.

The weather office has forecast above-normal temperatures this month as well.

Hospitals in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) are seeing an influx of patients with complaints of heat stroke and heat exhaustion as the mercury continues to soar.

Several reports have claimed dozens of people have died in the National Capital, prompting authorities to hold an emergency meeting with the heads of hospitals.

Let’s take a closer look.

Dozens killed in Delhi

At least 52 bodies were brought to hospitals in the past two days, The Times of India said.

The report said all the patients came from underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds. They also lacked awareness about heatstroke and its symptoms.

Another report by the Centre for Holistic Development, a non-governmental organisation, claimed at least 192 homeless people died from 11 to 19 June.

As of Wednesday, three major hospitals in the National Capital – RML hospital, Safdarjung hospital and LNJP hospital – reported 20 heat-related deaths, NDTV report said.

Experts explain critical patients generally arrive in hypovolemic shock, which is marked by a significant drop in blood pressure and oxygen levels. The condition is risky and happens when a lot of blood or fluids are lost from the body.

Dr Gaurav Jain, senior consultant for internal medicine at Dharamshila Narayana Hospital in Delhi, told News18 that he has witnessed around 10 patients with serious pre-existing conditions requiring ICU care in the last 10-12 days.

“This includes three patients with cancer, two with kidney problems, and one with heart problems. Fortunately, no young and healthy patients affected by the heat have required ICU care so far,” he said.

Dr Arvind Aggarwal, the senior consultant at Delhi-based Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, told News18 that his outpatient department (OPD) is seeing around 10 patients daily with mild to moderate symptoms such as dehydration, diarrhoea, and mild fever.

“Overall, the OPD has managed 70-80 mild to moderate cases in the last 10 days. In the past week, we treated 5-6 critical cases in the inpatient department (IPD) due to severe heat-related complications, including hypertension and heart problems.”

Scaling up beds for patients

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj held an emergency meeting with the heads of hospitals on Wednesday.

The ministry ordered the central and state institutions to ensure immediate attention to patients, while hospitals were directed to make more beds available.

During the meeting, it was also decided that Delhi Police beat officers and patrolling teams will be requested help in shifting homeless to shelter homes in case they are found on a footpath.

Bharadwaj said in a post on X, “Chaired an emergency meeting with heads of all major hospitals regarding Heat stroke patients. Delhi Police beat officers/ patrolling teams will be requested help in shifting the homeless to shelter homes in case they are lying under the open sky. The department is sending a communication to Delhi Police Commissioner to ask their patrolling teams to call Ambulances in case their teams spot destitute is running high fever or sick.”

“Hospitals to scale up the beds for patients of heat-related illnesses. Circular issued to Hospitals & CATS Ambulance service. Fresh advisory to be advertised in Radio and Newspapers,” the minister added.

In a communication to all hospitals, the Health Department said the importance of early management of heat-affected patients was informed to all the hospitals in the meeting.

The communication directed the medical superintendents, medical directors, chief district medical offices (CDMOs) and the directorate of health services to ensure that the emergency section of all hospitals remains operational 24x7 and a senior doctor be present to handle such patients.

“As already directed, all the necessary medicines required for the treatment of such patients also must remain in the hospitals,” read the circular.

The circular directed medical superintendents and medical directors to personally ensure the immediate admission and treatment of heat stroke patients, so as to ensure that maximum lives could be saved.

“All the CDMOs are also directed to ensure that even if such a patient comes to the dispensaries, the immediate treatment is given to the patient and he is shifted to the nearest hospital in an ambulance,” the circular read, adding that CATS ambulances had also been put on high alert.

Last month, Bharadwaj announced that the Delhi government-run hospitals will reserve two beds each for heatstroke patients while five beds will be reserved at the LNJP Hospital.

Notably, RML hospitals even launched India’s first specialised unit for heat stroke patients on 8 May, according to Indian Express. Two bathtubs, an ice maker and two ventilator beds were included in this unit. So far, 20-25 patients have been admitted to the unit.

Rising heatstroke cases in India

A core body temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius or above, mental changes such as mild confusion or altered consciousness, and exposure to excessive heat and humidity are the three main indicators of heat stroke, the most severe form of heat disease.

It is a silent killer, and hours after being exposed to the sun, patients may start feeling sick.

According to the Indian National Centre for Disease Control, heat strokes have a 40–64 per cent fatality rate, making them a “life-threatening” illness.

Official statistics show that between 1992 and 2019, heatwaves claimed the lives of around 25,000 people.

About three-fourths of Indian workers are employed in professions that involve heat, such as mining and construction, as per BBC. Heatwaves make this worse because there are fewer safe and effective work hours during the day.

According to a Lancet study, India will lose 167.2 billion potential work hours in 2021 as a result of extreme heat.

On Tuesday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda evaluated the state of the heatwave and the central government hospitals’ preparedness. In addition, he instructed officials to make sure all hospitals have the necessary supplies to give heatwave victims the best care possible.

The intense spell of heatwave

Delhi has been reeling under a prolonged heatwave, with daily temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius since May, peaking at nearly 50 degrees Celsius.

Humidity and hot winds exacerbate the heat, compounded by water shortages and power outages due to soaring demand.

On Wednesday, the National Capital recorded its warmest night in over 50 years on Wednesday, with a minimum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius, as per the data from the weather department.

The heatwave is not restricted to Delhi.

This summer, India saw more than 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke and at least 110 verified deaths between 1 March and 18 June, when the country’s northwest and east saw twice as many heatwave days as usual.

With 36 fatalities, Uttar Pradesh is the state most hit, followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and Odisha. The real figure, meanwhile, is probably far higher because heat-related fatalities in rural areas are frequently underreported.

Extreme heat is affecting billions of people in Asia, a trend that scientists believe is being made worse by climate change caused by humans.

With inputs from agencies