India heat: Inside Delhi's first emergency room to tackle crisis

Doctors are fighting to save people from heat strokes in a first-of-its-kind clinic in India's capital.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessFuture of BusinessTechnology of BusinessWork CultureInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersInside India's first heat stroke emergency room15 hours agoBy Soutik Biswas, @soutikBBC, India correspondentShareEPAA construction worker drinks water during the heatwave in DelhiIn one of the largest hospitals in India’s capital, Delhi, a physician says he has never seen anything like this before.

“This is an unprecedented heatwave. In my 13 years of working here, I don’t remember signing a death certificate for heat stroke. This year, I’ve signed several,” says Ajay Chauhan of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMLH).

Delhi has been reeling under a prolonged heatwave, with daily temperatures crossing 40C (104F) since May, peaking at nearly 50C. Humidity and hot winds exacerbate the heat, compounded by water shortages and power outages due to soaring demand. And people are dying from the heat, with media reports suggesting at least 20 fatalities due to heat-related illnesses.

A heat stroke, the most severe heat illness, is identified by three key signs: exposure to high heat and humidity, a core body temperature of 40.5C (105F) or higher, and mental changes like mild confusion or impaired consciousness. Heat stroke is also a silent killer, and victims can begin to fall ill hours after exposure to sun. India's National Centre for Disease Control calls heat strokes a "life-threatening" condition with a mortality rate of 40-64%.

Since Dr Chauhan's hospital in Delhi opened a heat stroke clinic in late May, seven people have died of heat stroke and more than 40 have been treated for heat-related ailments.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn00nkzdvkjo

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