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This is an archive article published on May 21, 2024
Heat-related emergency cases rise by 12 pc in May
There was a phenomenal jump of 106.35 per cent — from 63 last year to 130 this year — in complaints of abdominal pain caused due to vomiting and diarrhoea
2 min read
A security guard tries to get some momenatary relief as temperature rises in Rajkot, on Monday. (Express File Photo) Heat-related emergency cases have shot up by 12 per cent in Gujarat as the state reels under severe heatwave this year. According to the data compiled by 108 emergency services, between May 1 and May 19, the state reported 1,431 cases of heat-related illnesses — a rise of 12.06 per cent from the 1,277 reported in the same period last year.
There was a phenomenal jump of 106.35 per cent — from 63 last year to 130 this year — in complaints of abdominal pain caused due to vomiting and diarrhoea. The cases are expected to further rise in the coming week as the weather department has cautioned against heatwave in the state.
Often, complaints are heat-related emergencies, including abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, heat stroke, high fever, severe headache, unknown problems such as altered mental status, fainting, unresponsiveness, and other unknown problems that in some cases lead to hospitalisation.
The state saw 85, 97 and 106 cases on May 17, 18 and 19 respectively. The major emergency calls were for high fever, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea and heat stroke. The number of heat-related illnesses shot up by 31 per cent in Ahmedabad alone — 274 cases this year as opposed to last year’s 209. The data from the past three consecutive days highlights that 11, 22, and 32 cases were recorded on May 17, 18 and 19 respectively. Abdominal pain was the chief complaint and rose by 145.45 per cent this year.
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