The Da Nang General Hospital and the city’s Paediatric and Maternity Hospital have faced patient overload due to the heat wave over recent days.  Local doctors said that they have never seen such a prolonged and harsh heat wave like this before.

All departments of the local general hospital are crowded particularly with elderly patients who are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.  They are suffering from high blood pressure, respiratory distress, pulmonary congestion, heart attacks, cerebrovascular diseases, and neurological disorders.  Last month alone, the hospital provided medical examinations and treatment to 4,036 patients aged over 65. 

A large number of elderly and …

The Dean of the hospital’s Emergency Department, Dr Nguyen Truong Minh, warned that under extreme heat conditions, people are vulnerable to exhaustion, dehydration and a weakened immune system, especially the elderly.  He advised that the best way to prevent heat-related disorders is to avoid exposure to the sun.

Before this year’s heat wave, the city’s Paediatric and Maternity Hospital only received an average of 600 child patients daily, but the figure has risen to at least 800 over recent days.  During peak days, the hospital has received around 1,100 children per day.

… child patients at local hospitals

The Vice Dean of the hospital’s Emergency Department, Dr Le Thanh Cam, said that the number of children admitted to the hospital in recent days is double the figure on normal days, and 40% of them are from outside Da Nang.  They are mainly suffering from respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, laryngismus and bronchiolitis. 

Dr Cam warned that during hot weather, children like drinking cold water but the more cold water is drunk, the more water and salts essential for normal body function are lost.  Hence, he advised that parents should encourage their children to drink warm water instead of cool or iced water.